REPORT 


OF 

CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES 


HELD  UNDER  THE  AUSPICES 


OF  THE 

CATHOLIC  SUMMER  SCHOOL  OF  AMERICA 


AUGUST  8th,  9th,  and  10th,  1898 


frr  ~  * ^y  nr 


U  Thro 


COMMITTEE  IN  CHARGE 

MR.  THOMAS  M.  MULRY,  President  Particular  Council  St.  Vincent  De  Paul 
Society,  New  York,  N.  Y.,  Chairman. 

REV.  T.  F.  HICKEY,  Rector  Rochester  Cathedral,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

REV.  T.  L.  KINKEAD,  Supervisor  of  Catholic  Charities,  Archdiocese  of  N.  Y., 
Peekskill,  N.  Y. 

MR.  GEORGE  B.  ROBINSON,  Trustee  of  New  York  Catholic  Protectory,  New 
York,  N.  Y. 

MISS  ELIZABETH  A.  CRONYN,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

REV.  THOMAS  McMILLAN,  C.  S.  P.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

REV.  D.  J.  McMAHON,  D.D.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

•GEORGE  J.  GILLESPIE,  Esq.,  Vice-President  Particular  Council  St.  Vincent  De 
Paul  Society,  New  York,  N.  Y.,  Secretary. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  U.rbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/reportofconferen00conf_4 


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INTRODUCTORY. 


Shis  report  has  been  prepared  pursuant  to  the  wishes  of  the 
delegates  and  visitors  who  attended  the  Conference  on  Cath¬ 
olic  Charities,  held  at  Cliff  Haven,  on  Aug.  8th,  9th,  and  10th, 
1898,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Catholic  Summer  School  of  America. 
The  success  of  the  Conference,  the  large  number  of  institutions 
represented,  and  the  splendid  attendance  of  the  delegates  and  in¬ 
terested  spectators,  bespoke  a  live  interest  in  the  work,  and 
evidenced  in  no  small  way  a  desire  on  the  part  of  many  to  co¬ 
operate  in  placing  the  workings  of  our  charitable  institutions  and 
our  charitable  societies  more  clearly  before  the  public. 

The  purpose  of  the  Conference  was  stated  in  a  letter  sent  out 
by  the  Secretary  to  every  Catholic  charitable  institution  and 
Society  in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  which,  among  other  things,  it 
was  said:  “  It  is  hoped  that  this  Conference  will  be  the  means  of 
bringing  home  to  the  minds  of  our  Catholic  people  the  vast  work 
there  is  to  be  done  in  the  field  of  charity,  and  stimulate  in  some  a 
desire  to  take  an  active  interest  in  the  work.  It  is  also  hoped  that 
by  bringing  together  in  conference  the  representatives  of  the 
different  Catholic  institutions  and  societies  of  a  charitable  charac¬ 
ter,  great  good  can  be  accomplished  ;  for  the  experiences  of  each, 
the  methods  of  each,  the  lines  along  which  each  works,  will  be 
matters  of  the  greatest  interest  and  importance  to  all.  Every 
Catholic  institution,  organization,  and  society  in  this  State  is  a 
powerful  organ  for  good;  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  if  the  general 
public  was  aware  of  the  exact  province  of  each,  and  of  the  nature 
and  character  of  the  work  of  each,  much  greater  good  could  be 


INTRODUCTORY. 


accomplished  through  the  co-operation  and  assistance  which 
would  be  sure  to  come.  It  needs  but  the  knowledge  to  bring  out 
the  workers. 

“  Every  Catholic  should  be  familiar  with  the  work  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  its  charities;  non-Catholics  make  special  efforts  to  bring 
their  acts  of  charity  and  their  eleemosynary  institutions  to  the 
attention  of  the  public,  and  find  it  profitable  inasmuch  as  it  brings 
more  workers  into  the  field  and  stimulates  all  to  greater  efforts.” 
And  the  hope  is  now  entertained  that  a  perusal  and  study  of  this 
report  will  help  to  bring  about  the  same  results. 

Thanks  are  due  to  the  Catholic  ladies  and  gentlemen  who,  out 
of  pure  love  for  the  work  they  were  engaged  in,  prepared  the 
splendid  papers  read  at  this  Conference,  and  which  follow  in  full. 
Also,  and  in  a  special  manner,  to  the  State  Board  of  Charities  for 
its  encouragement,  and  to  Robert  W.  Hebberd,  Esq.,  its  Secretary, 
for  the  erudite  and  interesting  paper  on  “  Charity  in  its  Relation 
to  Civil  Government,”  prepared  on  very  short  notice  after  the  sad 
and  sudden  death  of  the  Hon.  Edmund  O’Connor  of  Binghamton, 
who  was  to  have  prepared  the  paper  on  that  subject. 

George  J.  Gillespie, 

Secretary. 


New  York,  November  28th,  1898. 


Opening  Address. 

BY  MR.  THOMAS  M.  MULRY,  Chairman. 

It  gives  us  very  great  pleasure  to  find  such  an  attendance  at 
this  Conference  of  Charities,  the  more  so  as  the  presence  of  so 
many  who  are  interested  in  the  various  phases  of  charitable  work 
at  such  a  sacrifice  to  themselves  proves  beyond  question  that  they 
feel  confident  that  much  practical  benefit  to  the  cause  of  charity 
must  result  from  a  gathering  of  this  kind. 

When  the  first  Conference  at  the  Summer  School  was  decided 
upon  last  year,  there  was  some  doubt  as  to  its  success ;  but  the 
deep  interest  shown  at  that  time,  the  hearty  welcome  extended  to 
those  taking  part  and  the  large  attendance  at  the  sessions,  proved 
beyond  question  that  the  Summer  School  could  be  made  a  most 
important  factor  in  quickening  interest  in  Catholic  charities,  and 
would  open  the  eyes  of  Catholic  laymen  to  the  great  opportunities 
placed  in  their  way  of  increasing  the  efficiency  and  extending  the 
usefulness  of  the  many  institutions  and  societies  founded  and 
maintained  under  Catholic  auspices. 

The  programme  presented  for  your  consideration  during  this 
session  is  a  very  practical  one.  The  subjects  are  full  of  fasci¬ 
nation  for  those  actively  interested  in  charitable  work  ;  they  are 
questions  of  timely  import,  are  treated  by  men  and  women  who 
speak  from  experience  and  who  have  not  grudged  the  necessary 
tirhe  and  thought,  but  in  their  earnestness  and  zeal  are  proud  to 
make  the  great  sacrifice,  with  the  hope  that  it  will  bear  fruit  by 
attracting  others  into  the  ranks  of  charity  workers,  that  immense 

field  so  sadly  neglected  by  the  great  body  of  the  Catholic  laity. 

1 


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REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


In  times  like  the  present,  when  organizations  are  forming  every¬ 
day  and  legislation  is  invoked  continually  to  ameliorate  this  or 
that  form  of  misery,  to  initiate  some  new  method  of  treatment,  or 
to  attack  some  system  already  in  vogue,  it  is  most  important  that 
Catholics  should  know  how  to  think  and  act,  and  to  give  their  un¬ 
divided  intelligent  support  to  those  movements  which  will  result 
most  advantageously  to  the  benefit  of  our  country  and  the  per¬ 
manent  good  of  those  whom  we  would  assist. 

We  should  be  abreast  of  the  times.  We  should  make  our  in¬ 
fluence  felt  when  there  is  danger  of  harm  from  the  efforts  of  over- 
zealous  people,  and  when  our  knowledge  and  experience  will  serve 
to  point  out  the  evils  likely  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  too  hasty 
legislation  or  too  one-sided  views. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  should  be  ever  ready  to  support  every 
good  measure,  even  though  initiated  by  those  whom  we  do  not 
always  feel  justified  in  calling  friends.  But  to  judge  properly  we 
require  knowledge  ;  knowledge  of  what  are  the  greatest  needs, 
and  at  what  particular  point,  in  the  various  questions  coming  up 
for  consideration,  our  support  or  opposition  should  be  directed. 

The  very  first  essential  to  success  is  unity,  and  the  question 
which  naturally  comes  to  our  minds  is — are  we  united  ?  Do  we 
work  in  harmony?  While  the  answer  is  undoubtedly  in  the  affir¬ 
mative  in  the  sense  that  we  are  all  working  for  the  same  object — 
the  betterment  of  the  condition  of  the  poor, — the  fact  is  evident 
that  we  have  so  many  different  ways  of  attaining  this  object,  that 
all  ways  can  not  be  equally  good. 

You  will  easily  perceive  what  a  great  boon  a  union  of  Catholic 
charities  would  be.  The  best  could  be  gleaned  from  each,  and  a 
sort  of  composite  system  adopted  which  would  be  of  inestimable 
advantage  to  all. 

This  unity  is  no  longer  a  question  of  choice  with  us  ;  it  is  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  necessity.  Movements  are  being  inaugurated  in  which  we 
are  vitally  interested,  and  yet  in  which  we  take  no  active  practical 
part, — movements  which  affect  the  permanency  of  some  of  our 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


most  prized  and  cherished  institutions.  They  are  inaugurated  by 
tireless,  indefatigable  people,  whose  one  idea  is  to  change  the  ex¬ 
isting  order  of  things,  and  so  strong  are  their  prejudices  in  many 
instances,  that  they  are  blind  to  the  fact  that  the  cure  would  be 
worse  than  the  disease. 

These  malcontents  are  ever  on  the  alert  to  influence  public 
opinion,  and  unless  their  false  views  are  combated,  they  are  apt 
to  carry  public  opinion  with  them. 

Are  we  to  stand  by,  supinely  and  inactively,  neglecting  our  duty, 
doing  absolutely  nothing  while  this  agitation  is  going  on  ?  Are 
we  to  permit  our  poor  to  be  degraded,  our  children  to  be  taken 
from  us  with  not  even  a  protest  on  our  part  ? 

We  go  along  in  the  even  tenor  of  our  ways,  leaving  to  the  priest 
and  the  religious  the  greatest  part  of  this  work,  forgetting  that 
our  line  of  action  is  clearly  designated.  The  priest,  the  brother, 
the  sister,  has  his  or  her  line  of  labor  mapped  out,  and  the  doing 
of  their  work  well  leaves  no  spare  time. 

The  Catholic  laity  has  a  mission  to  perform,  and  a  most  impor¬ 
tant  mission — the  influencing  of  public  opinion. 

In  our  intercourse  with  people  of  various  ideas  and  convictions, 
we  should  be  so  familiar  with  all  burning  questions  that  we  would 
be  in  a  position  to  state  clearly  our  opinions  on  all  points  dis¬ 
cussed,  and  give  facts  and  figures  to  prove  the  superiority  of  our 
methods  over  those  against  which  we  use  our  influence. 

Is  it  not  true  that  Catholics  lack  that  interest  taken  by  our  non- 
Catholic  neighbors  in  everything  affecting  the  charities  of  the 
State  ? 

I  am  not  speaking  of  the  efficiency  of  our  institutions.  We  are, 
or  should  be,  well  acquainted  with  the  excellent  records  they  all 
have. 

I  would  call  attention  to  the  totally  unprepared  state  in  which 
we  are  always  found  when  some  of  our  institutions  are  attacked. 

The  recent  Constitutional  Convention  is  but  one  of  the  many 
examples.  When  it  was  suddenly  discovered  that  a  party  of  bigots 


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REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


were  endeavoring  to  use  the  Convention  to  vent  their  spleen 
against  the  Church,  consternation  seized  every  Catholic. 

We  found  we  had  kept  so  completely  within  our  shells  that  the 
great  majority  of  the  members  of  that  Convention  believed  the 
most  outrageous  charges,  and  were  it  not  for  the  herculean  efforts 
of  some  of  our  non-Catholic  friends,  who  were  full  of  the  American 
spirit  of  fair  play,  and  the  work  of  some  of  our  earnest  Catholic 
men  in  giving  the  public  the  true  idea  of  the  institutions  at¬ 
tacked,  we  would  have  been  badly  defeated.  As  it  was,  we  were 
forced  to  make  compromises  which  would  never  have  been  neces¬ 
sary,  had  our  work  been  better  known  and  the  Catholic  laity  more 
aggressive  when  attacked,  and  more  actively  identified  with  the 
public  treatment  of  the  theories  put  forward. 

Year  after  year  legislation  has  been  introduced  at  Albany  affect¬ 
ing  every  form  of  charity;  and  yet,  while  all  other  charities  were  rep¬ 
resented,  ours  were  seldom  found  taking  any  part  in  such  hear¬ 
ings. 

Who  is  to  blame  if  Catholic  charities  have  been  misunderstood, 
if  their  works  remained  unknown,  if  they  frequently  suffered  from 
this  ignorance  of  their  true  purposes? 

It  was  scarcely  natural  to  expect  others  to  battle  for  us  when 
we  were  so  supremely  indifferent  to  our  own  interests. 

During  the  last  session  of  the  Legislature  at  Albany,  Catholics 
for  the  first  time  presented  a  united  front,  and  made  their  influence 
felt  in  the  State.  Last  winter,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 
legislation,  all  the  charities  of  the  State  were  found  opposing  a 
most  dangerous  bill,  which  they  succeeded  in  killing.  We  were 
never  alone  in  our  ideas.  We  were  frequently  surprised  to  find 
ourselves  fighting  side  by  side  with  men  whom  we  had  always 
looked  upon  as  adversaries. 

A  bill  was  passed  restricting  the  placing  out  of  children,  a  bill 
which  for  the  first  time  put  a  check  to  the  placing  of  Catholic 
children  in  non-Catholic  homes.  This  is  the  greatest  check  to 
proselytizing  that  it  has  ever  received  in  this  State. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


5 


Strange  to  say,  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  keep  some  of  our 
institutions  from  opposing  the  bill,  so  hard  was  it  to  make  them 
believe  the  bill  would  be  of  great  benefit  to  them.  I  am  sure  that 
this  good  work  of  last  winter  would  never  have  been  accomplished 
were  it  not  for  the  Conference  held  in  this  place  last  summer. 

It  was  through  the  intercourse  and  ideas  broached  at  that  time, 
and  the  acquaintances  made  between  the  representatives  from 
different  parts  of  the  State,  that  the  organization  was  perfected 
and  a  common  agreement  reached. 

If  we  need  an  illustration  of  the  power  of  organization,  of  its 
advantages,  we  have  it  in  the  National  Conference  of  Charities, 
which  is  made  up  of  representatives  from  the  charitable  and 
correctional  institutions  of  the  United  States. 

The  Twenty-fifth  Annual  Meeting  of  this  body  was  held  in  the 
month  of  May  of  the  present  year.  His  Grace,  the  Most  Rever¬ 
end  Archbishop  of  New  York,  sat  side  by  side  with  Bishop  Potter 
at  the  opening  of  the  Convention,  spoke  from  the  same  platform, 
and  clearly  enunciated  the  Catholic  idea  of  charity,  and  spoke  in 
such  a  kindly,  dignified  manner  as  to  win  the  sincere  and  hearty 
applause  of  all  present. 

Some  of  the  theories  broached  and  the  ideas  suggested  at 
this  Convention  were  startling  enough  to  frighten  the  thoughtful 
Christian;  but  the  addresses  in  general  were  full  of  wisdom,  and 
appealed  most  forcibly  to  the  earnest  workers  in  the  field  of  phil¬ 
anthropy. 

Through  the  whole  Convention  there  was  the  greatest  tolera¬ 
tion  of  each  other’s  opinions,  and  it  was  certainly  a  very  gratify¬ 
ing  sight  to  observe  speakers,  with  a  hereditary  dislike  for  every¬ 
thing  Catholic,  cheerfully  giving  the  Church  the  credit  due  in  the 
field  of  charitable  and  correctional  work. 

Catholics  took  a  fairly  active  part  in  this  Conference,  and  the 
work  they  did  was  so  well  appreciated  that  they  will  have  a  very 
cordial  welcome  at  the  next  Conference,  to  be  held  in  Cincinnati. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Catholic  institutions  of  this  State  and  of 


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REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


the  whole  United  States  will  identify  themselves  more  closely 
with  the  National  Conference  in  future. 

If  they  do,  their  services  will  be  highly  valued,  and  the  advan¬ 
tage  to  ourselves  will  be  very  great,  for  at  those  conferences,  all  the 
proposed  laws  affecting  charities  are  discussed  and  dissected  before 
being  submitted  to  the  different  legislatures.  We  will  thus  be  in 
a  position  to  judge  them  and  have  them  modified  or  amended  be¬ 
fore  they  reach  the  legislators. 

At  the  same  Conference  we  were  very  much  impressed  with  the 
familiarity  shown  by  each  speaker  with  the  details  and  the  work¬ 
ings  of  the  institutions  under  discussion.  They  had  figures  to 
prove  everything.  This  opened  our  eyes  to  another  of  our  needs. 

We  heard  statements  made  that  we  could  not  contradict,  simply 
because  we  had  no  statistics  or  information  to  authoritatively  deny 
what  we  knew  was  false.  If  this  Conference  would  result  in  some 
method  by  which  we  could  get  at  the  work  done  in  our  various  in¬ 
stitutions,  it  would  be  one  of  the  very  best  results  we  could  hope 
for.  While  it  is  undoubtedly  right  and  proper  to  keep  our  work,  or 
certain  phases  of  it,  from  the  glare  of  publicity,  we  are  justified  in 
giving  such  information  to  the  public  as  will  ensure  a  proper  un¬ 
derstanding  of  our  labors. 

Whether  our  institutions  are  receiving  public  or  private  support, 
they  should  give  a  clear,  honest  account  of  their  stewardship. 
The  records  of  every  institution  should  be  clear  enough  to  prove 
the  efficiency  of  the  work,  and  to  give  an  intelligent  idea  of  re¬ 
sults,  so  that  when  Catholics  are  confronted  with  the  old  hack¬ 
neyed  charges  against  institutions,  they  will  be  able  to  at  once  put 
their  hands  on  the  proof  of  the  falsity  of  such  charges,  and  not 
have  to  wait  until  the  lie  has  travelled  beyond  reach  before  at¬ 
tempting  to  overtake  it. 

None  will  deny  that  there  is  room  for  improvement  in  our  institu^ 
tions;  but  do  not  wait  to  have  their  defects  brought  to  our  atten¬ 
tion  by  others.  We  should  take  the  initiative  by  candidly  acknowl¬ 
edging  our  shortcomings,  so  that  by  cordial,  active,  earnest  co- 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


7 


operation  with  each  other,  we  may  place  our  institutions  on  a 
plane  where  they  will  be  beyond  the  reach  of  the  criticism  of  the 
most  exacting  student  of  charitable  work. 

If  this  Conference  will  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  grand 
object,  then  indeed  will  we  feel  that  our  labors  have  been  amply 
repaid,  and  that  we  have  given  proof  by  our  acts  that  we  are  Cath¬ 
olics  not  only  in  name,  but  in  devotion,  also,  to  every  Catholic  in¬ 
terest. 


FIRST  PAPER. 


PERMANENT  ORGANIZATION.— ITS  NEED  AND 
BENEFIT  IN  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

By  Hon.  John  T.  McDonough, 

Of  Albany,  N.  V 

“  Blessed  is  he  that  understandeth  concerning  the  needy  and  the 
poor;  the  Lord  will  deliver  him  in  the  evil  days.” 


We  are  assembled  in  conference  to-day  for  the  laudable  pur¬ 
pose  of  considering,  discussing,  and  deliberating  upon  questions 
relating  to  charity — plain,  practical,  simple  Christian  charity. 

We  are  not  here,  I  assume,  as  mere  philanthropists,  having  vague 
notions  and  desires  for  the  betterment  of  humanity,  much  as  we 
love  the  human  race. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  we  are  bound  to  love  our  neighbors,  and 
we  must,  therefore,  look  with  favor  upon  that  philanthropy  which' 
has  for  its  object  universal  good-will. 

We  must  all  admire  and  encourage  that  charity,  like  unto  phil¬ 
anthropy,  which  St.  Paul  so  luminously  and  admirably  defined  as 
charity  which 

“  is  patient,  is  kind,  envieth  not,  dealeth  not  perversely,  is 
not  puffed  up,  is  not  ambitious,  is  not  provoked  to  anger, 
thinketh  not  evil,  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity,  beareth  all  things, 
hopeth  all  things  and  endureth  all  things,” 

but,  at  present,  we  may  find  it  more  profitable  to  consider  the 

charity  which  is  said  to  begin  at  home,  that  Christian  charity 

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REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  & 

which  concerns  itself  with  the  needy  and  the  poor,  which  makes 
it  our  duty  “  to  feed  the  hungry,  give  drink  to  the  thirsty,  clothe 
the  naked,  harbor  the  harborless,  visit  the  sick,  and  bury  the 
dead.” 

It  is  practical  work  of  this  nature,  and  not  mere  philanthropy, 
that  brings  that  promised  blessing — the  blessing  that  causes  de¬ 
livery  in  the  evil  day. 

From  the  dawn  of  Christianity  down  to  the  reign  of  that  so-called 
reformer,  Henry  VIII.  of  England,  it  was  the  peculiar  function 
and  one  of  the  principal  duties  of  religious  bodies  and  institutions, 
to  perform  these  works  of  mercy  and  charity,  being  enabled  to  do 
so,  to  a  great  extent,  by  the  contributions  of  the  faithful. 

This  duty  was  so  well  and  faithfully  accomplished  that  there 
was  not  in  England  a  public  poor-house,  nor  poor  laws,  until  the 
middle  of  the  16th  century,  when  a  princely  polygamist  laid  vio¬ 
lent  hands  upon  the  monasteries. 

By  the  statute  of  monasteries,  more  than  six  hundred  religious 
houses  fell  at  a  single  blow.  So  great  was  the  confiscated  prop¬ 
erty  of  these  charitable  institutions,  that  the  king  promised 
never  again  to  call  upon  his  people  for  subsidies. 

But  this  resort  to  confiscation  and  spoliation  was  not  enough  to 
satisfy  his  majesty.  In  order  to  utterly  destroy  pauperism  in  the 
kingdom,  resort  was  had  to  Parliament,  and  an  act  was  passed 
making  the  indiscriminate  giving  of  alms  a  crime.  Some  of  our 
modern  political  economists,  who  have  turned  their  attention  to 
the  question  of  disposing  of  dependents  and  degenerates,  may 
find  much  to  admire  in  this  old  law;  for  it  was  enacted  with  the 
evident  intent  of  forever  abolishing  vagrancy  in  England,  be¬ 
cause  it  not  only  prohibited  indiscriminate  almsgiving,  but  it 
also  unmercifully  provided  that  the  sturdy  beggar  should  be 
whipped  for  the  first  offence,  his  ears  cropped  off  for  the  second, 
and  for  the  third  he  was  to  suffer  death.  Evidently  it  was 
thought  that  the  dead  vagrant  was  the  only  good  vagrant. 

The  Christianity  of  England  would  not  tolerate  this  most  drastic 


10 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


law,  and  so  it  was  repealed,  and  another,  less  cruel,  yet  very 
harsh,  was  enacted  in  its  place,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI. 
This  latter  act  made  provision  for  branding  on  the  shoulder  of 
the  vagrant  the  letter  “V,”  and  adjudging  him  a  slave  for  two 
years,  to  be  claimed  by  any  one,  and  fed  on  bread  and  wrater. 

It  also  provided  that,  if  he  ran  away  from  this  harsh  punish¬ 
ment,  the  letter  “S  ”  was  to  be  branded  on  his  face,  and  he  was 
adjudged  a  slave  for  life,  working  in  chains  for  the  town  or  parish. 

Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  these  repressive  measures  had  not  the 
effect  desired,  for  paupers,  and  vagrants,  and  tramps  continued  to 
infest  the  kingdom. 


“  The  poor  you  have  always  with  you.” 

It  was  not  till  the  year  1522,  long  after  Henry  VIII.  had  been 
called  to  give  a  final  account  of  his  proceedings,  that  the  people 
began  to  realize  that  these  poor-laws  were  a  failure  ;  and  then  they 
turned  to  what  was  left  of  the  Church  for  relief,  and  passed  a  law 
authorizing  wardens  to  collect  and  distribute  contributions  for 
charitable  purposes.  In  time  this  latter  system  gave  way  to  the 
poorhouse,  and  to  administration  supplied  by  rates,  doled  out  by 
local  public  authorities. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  there  is  a  tendency,  nowadays,  among 
certain  men  who  pose  as  very  wise  philanthropists,  to  go  back  to 
harsh  measures  in  dealing  with  the  poor, — measures  such  as  were 
tried  and  found  wanting  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

A  lecturer  on  political  economy,  eminent  enough  to  be  placed 
on  the  programme  of  the  Chautauqua  Course,  said  there  quite 
recently  :  “  We  are  beginning  to  hear  of  a  science  of  charity;  and  it 
is  sorely  needed,  for  old-fashioned  almsgiving  is  a  crime." 

Old-fashioned  almsgiving  a  crime  ? 

Cornelius,  the  Italian,  is  highly  commended,  in  that  old-fashioned 
book  called  the  Bible,  because  he  “gave  much  alms  to  the  people, 
and  prayed  to  God  always.” 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


11 


“Cornelius,”  said  the  angel,  “thy  prayers  and  thy  alms  have 
ascended  for  a  memorial  in  the  sight  of  God.” 

The  methods  and  practices  of  Cornelius  are  old-fashioned,  in¬ 
deed,  and  in  the  days  of  Henry  VIII.  were  criminal  ;  but  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  we  will  not  have  the  laws  of  those  days  re-enacted 
here. 

An  earnest  effort  is  being  made  by  many  well-meaning  people  to 
form  a  charity  trust. 

With  oil  trusts,  coal  trusts,  gas  trusts,  whiskey  trusts,  tobacco 
trusts,  and  sugar  trusts,  all  most  prosperous,  why  not,  say  the 
economists,  give  us  a  charity  trust,  and  thereby  unify  the  system  ; 
make  the  assets  go  further,  stamp  out  the  “unworthy  poor”  who 
may  attempt  to  ply  their  vocation  on  their  own  account,  and 
bring  all  the  States  into  one  combination  ? 

Such  a  scheme  was  seriously  proposed  at  the  National  Conference 
of  Charities,  held  in  Toronto  last  year.  The  Committee  on  Organ¬ 
ization  reported  in  favor  of — “cropping  the  field  of  unorganized 
charity  with  the  seed  of  organization  and  systematization,”  so  that 
every  city  and  hamlet  be  in  harmonious  co-operation,  using  meth¬ 
ods  as  uniform  as  the  different  local  conditions  will  permit,  and 
extending  the  system  from  the  national  government  down  through 
State,  city,  village,  and  private  charities  to  the  individual.”  As  a 
part  of  this  system  the  committee  recommended  co-operation  with 
the  police  authorities,  and  (would  you  believe  it  ?)  by  the  aid  of 
the  Bertillion  system  of  measurements  (a  system  applied  to  felons), 
an  exact  description  of  every  migratory  pauper  and  tramp,  and  his 
method  of  forage,  should  be  kept  and  placed  at  the  joint  disposal 
of  all  municipalities  ;  and  this,  says  the  committee,  should  be  re¬ 
inforced  with  vagrant  laws  adequately  stringent,  such,  I  suppose, 
as  Henry  VIII.  had.  But  the  most  important  recommendation, 
and  the  one  that  took  my  fancy  as  an  office-holder,  is  this:  “  Con¬ 
gress  should  make  an  adequate  appropriation  (the  “  boys  ”  will  all 
hurrah  for  the  appropriation),  and  provide  for  the  appointment 
of  a  commission  of  three  competent  persons  to  extensively  and 


12 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


thoroughly  investigate  the  present  quantity  and  status  of  defective,, 
delinquent,  and  dependent  classes,  covering  the  entire  field,  and 
recording  the  general  facts  in  detail,  and  publishing  the  same  in 
their  report.” 

Think  of  that  grand  scheme  of  “combines,”  measurements, 
police  supervision,  trials,  convictions,  appropriations,  appoint¬ 
ments,  investigations,  and  reports;  and  after  all  these  things,  what  ? 

“  The  poor  you  have  always  with  you.” 

Why,  if  such  an  extensive  and  costly  scheme  as  is  pointed  out 
here  were  proposed  by  practical  politicians,  instead  of  by  men  who 
are  so  perpendicular  that  it  may  be  said  of  them  that  they  belong 
to  a  party  without  politics,  and  a  Church  without  a  creed,  the 
average  mugwump,  kicker,  and  reformer  would  cry  out  in  holy  hor¬ 
ror  against  such  a  spoils  system. 

We  ought,  however,  to  commend  the  good  intentions  of  this 
committee  ;  for,  doubtless,  they  earnestly  believed  that  if  their  rec¬ 
ommendations  were  carried  into  effect  individual  almsgiving  would 
be  minimized,  poverty  decreased,  and  public  expenses  lessened. 

The  evil  to  be  dreaded,  under  the  proposed  system  of  sending 
out  detectives  to  investigate  and  report  upon  each  application  for 
charity,  is  that  this  over-cautiousness  may  often  result  in  injury  to 
the  bashful  poor  who  do  not  want  their  poverty  made  known  to  the 
public.  For  fear  of  helping  the  unworthy,  one  may  often,  though 
charitably  inclined,  refuse  to  assist  persons  who  are  both  needy 
and  worthy. 

One  of  the  principal  speakers  at  the  Toronto  Conference,  a 
gentleman  from  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  in  pointing  out  the  danger 
of  individual  almsgiving  without  due  investigation,  and  showing 
how  tramps  and  criminals  are  made,  gave  his  hearers  such  a  vivid 
and  heartrending  sketch  of  the  evil  effects  of  indiscriminate 
almsgiving,  that  you  may  be  interested  in  its  repetition;  here  are 
his  words: 

*•  A  young  man  calls  at  your  door,  asking  for  alms.  It  is  his 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


13 


first  appeal.  He  knows  he  is  doing  wrong.  He  feels  guilty. 
But  you  are  an  easy  mark.  You  give  him  relief, — perhaps  only  a 
meal.  You  boasted  that  you  never  let  any  one  leave  your  door 
hungry.  He  is  emboldened  by  his  easy  success.  He  reflects  how 
much  easier  it  was  to  beg  that  meal  than  to  earn  it.  At  the  next 
place  his  story  is  smoother,  his  lie  more  plausible.  This  time  he 
wants  money.  He  gets  it.  His  inherited  moral  restraints  are  giv¬ 
ing  way.  He  takes  a  drink,  and  all  bad  follows.  His  demands  for 
money  become  more  imperative.  He  steals.  He  is  now  desperate. 
He  realizes  that  he  is  a  criminal — suspected,  watched,  hunted. 
Society  is  his  enemy,  his  prey.  He  meets  a  prominent  citizen  in 
the  night.  Weapon  in  his  hand,  he  demands  money  ;  but  in  the 
struggle  he  shoots,  he  kills — he  is  a*fugitive  and  a  murderer .  ” 

After  hearing  this  harrowing  recital,  will  you  not  button  your 
pockets,  harden  your  hearts,  and  ponder  upon  the  awful  effect  of 
giving  a  hungry  man  a  meal  of  cold  victuals — without  first  ob¬ 
taining  a  report  from  the  investigator  of  the  United  Charities 
Association  ? 

If  such  an  investigation  had  been  made,  and  a  report  received — 
possibly  several  days  after  the  man  became  hungry, — possibly 
after  he  had  starved  to  death  pending  the  arrival  of  the  report,  it 
might  show  that  the  applicant  had  been  working  in  the  coal  mines, 
at  starvation  wages — scarcely  sufficient  to  keep  body  and  soul  to¬ 
gether.  That  one  day,  in  order  to  lessen  production  and  raise 
prices,  the  coal  trust  shut  down  the  works.  Times  were  hard  and 
work  scarce  in  1896,  and  this  good  man  went  from  town  to  town 
seeking  employment,  but  without  success.  His  money  was  all 
gone,  and  he  was  hungry.  He  called  at  house  after  house  occu¬ 
pied  by  scientific,  philosophical  philanthropists,  every  one  of 
whom  promised  him  food  and  shelter  as  soon  as  a  report  could  be 
received  from  the  coal  regions,  verifying  his  statements.  But  hun¬ 
ger  did  not  wait  for  that  report.  He  fell  by  the  wayside,  and 
died  of  starvation — a  victim  of  the  excessive  caution  of  very  good 
people. 


14 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


After  all,  is  it  not  better  to  act  promptly,  and  give  quickly,  re¬ 
membering  that, 

“  Whoever  shall  give  to  drink  to  one  of  these  a  cup  of  cold 
water  only,  in  the  name  of  a  disciple.  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  he 
shall  not  lose  his  reward”? 

What  would  become  of  the  Apostles  if  they  were  to  return  to 
earth  and  visit  Grand  Rapids  to-day,  following  the  directions  of 
Him  who  said  :  “  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air 
nests,  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  His  head  what 
would  become  of  the  Apostles  who  were  told  “  not  to  possess 
gold  nor  silver,  nor  money  in  your  purse;  nor  scrip  for  your  jour¬ 
ney,  nor  two  coats,  nor  shoes,  nor  a  staff;  for  the  workman  is 
worthy  of  his  meat  ”  ? 

Doubtless  they  would  be  apprehended  as  vagrants  not  possess¬ 
ing  visible  means  of  support,  and  sent  to  the  work-house  or  city 
wood-pile  as  unworthy  poor. 

This  same  speaker  dwelt  at  some  length  on  the  expenses  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  poor  in  his  city  of  90,000  inhabitants,  and 
showed,  apparently  with  some  pride  and  satisfaction,  how  by  eco¬ 
nomic  methods  they  had  been  reduced  from  $43,000.00  in  1895  to 
$27,000.00  in  1896. 

The  authorities  might  have  saved  many  more  dollars  of  public 
money  by  simply  refusing  all  aid  to  the  poor. 

Had  such  a  thing  happened,  however,  we  may  be  sure  that  the 
good  Christian  people  of  that  city  would  have  performed  their 
duty  by  taking  ample  care  of  the  dependents,  regardless  of  the 
warnings  against  individual  and  indiscriminate  almsgiving. 

A  young  lady  speaker  at  the  same  conference  advocated  a  train¬ 
ing-school  for  charity  workers,  saying  that  “in  these  days  of 
specialization,  when  we  train  our  cooks,  our  apothecaries,  and 
our  nurses,  we  have  yet  to  establish  our  first  training-school  for 
charity  workers;  or,  as  she  terms  it,  a  “  training-school  in  applied 
philanthropy.” 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


15 


Well,  it  may  be  that  we  have  yet  to  establish  our  first  school  in  ap¬ 
plied  philanthropy,  but  if  this  good  lady  had  said  “  training-school 
in  applied  Christian  charity,”  then  it  could  be  said  that  in  the  Catho¬ 
lic  Church,  such  schools  have  existed  for  a  thousand  years,  train¬ 
ing-schools  like  those  of  the  Benedictines,  and  later  organizations, 
like  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  in  existence  almost  three  hundred 
years.  These  Sisters,  whose  vow  of  poverty  raises  them  to  the 
level  of  Lazarus,  and  places  them  on  an  equality  with  the 
poor  they  relieve,  are  admirably  trained  and  fitted  for  the  work  of 
feeding  the  hungry,  clothing  the  naked,  and  visiting  the  sick, 
without  requiring  their  beneficiaries  to  be  weighed  or  measured 
by  the  Bertillion  system,  or  to  have  their  names  enrolled  in  pub¬ 
lic  records  or  published  in  newspapers. 

I  am  not  opposed  to  organized  charities.  On  the  contrary,  I 
favor  them,  and  believe  them  to  be  very  beneficial;  but  I  am  op¬ 
posed  to  charity  cranks,  and  highly-paid  agents  posing  as  expert 
philanthropists  and  political  economists,  and  always  trying  to  at¬ 
tain  the  impossible. 

There  is  a  great  field  in  this  State  for  charity  work.  We  have 
not,  it  is  true,  as  many  dependents,  in  proportion  to  our  popula¬ 
tion,  as  has  England,  where  about  24  to  the  1,000  are  paupers;  but 
we  have  a  vast  army  to  look  after. 

The  report  of  the  Charity  Committee  of  the  late  Constitutional 
Convention  shows  that  in  1893  there  were  over  ninety  thousand 
persons  who  were  a  public  charge,  distributed  as  follows:  Insane, 
18,379;  idiotic  and  feeble  minded,  1,561;  epileptic,  619;  blind,  718; 
deaf  and  dumb,  1,414;  dependent  children,  26,359;  juvenile  offend¬ 
ers,  4,935;  reformatory  prisoners,  1,713;  disabled  soldiers  and  sail¬ 
ors,  959;  hospital  patients,  5,735 ;  aged  and  friendless  persons,  8,074; 
ordinary  poor-house  inmates,  10,077;  prisoners  in  the  State  prisons, 
penitentiaries,  and  jails,  10,000.  Since  that  report  was  made  these 
numbers  have  been  increased  very  much,  the  increase  in  the  insane 
alone  being  over  3,000,  there  being  under  the  Commission  in 
Lunacy  in  State  institutions  August  1st,  1898,  21,673  persons. 


16 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


And  the  numbers  of  dependents  are  likely  to  continue  increas¬ 
ing,  for  we  have  not  only  natives  of  our  own  State,  and  those 
who  come  from  other  States,  to  care  for,  but  a  great  number  of 
those  who  are  coming  annually  from  foreign  countries. 

During  the  six  years  from  July  ist,  1891,  to  June  30th,  1897, 
over  2,000,000  immigrants  landed  in  the  United  States,  and  of 
these  the  enormous  number  of  819,387  were  destined  to  make  the 
State  of  New  York  their  home. 

I  am  under  obligations  to  Mr.  Hebbard,  the  efficient  Secretary 
of  the  State  Board  of  Charities,  for  a  table  showing  the  receipts 
and  disbursements  of  the  various  institutions  and  societies  under 
the  supervision  of  the  Board  of  Charities,  for  the  year  ending  Sep¬ 
tember  ist,  1897.  This  table  shows  that  New  York  is  the  empire 
State  in  her  charities,  as  in  everything  else. 

The  total  expenditures  of  these  institutions  for  all  purposes 
amount  to  the  munificent  sum  of  $21,448,362.00.  Of  this 
the  sum  of  $850,339.00  was  for  fuel  and  light,  $616,421.60  for 
clothing,  $495,903.00  for  medical  supplies  and  medicine,  $4,331,- 
342.00  for  provisions  and  supplies,  and  $4,147,880.00  for  salaries 
and  wages. 

The  amount  of  this  last  item  seems  very  large,  but  it  brings  be¬ 
fore  us  the  importance  of  the  vast  charity  work  performed  by  the 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul  societies,  the  Christian  Brothers,  the  Sisters 
of  Charity,  and  kindred  orders,  “going  about  doing  good,”  with¬ 
out  salaries  or  wages,  thus  giving  the  full  benefit  of  the  appropri¬ 
ations  and  donations  to  the  poor  and  needy. 

These  figures  would  not  be  complete  without  reference  to  the 
expenditures  for  the  care,  maintenance,  etc.,  etc.,  of  the  insane, 
which,  for  the  year  ending  September  30th,  1897,  was  for  main¬ 
tenance,  salaries,  wages,  etc.,  $3,893,175.00;  for  new  buildings, 
$608,556.00;  and  for  extraordinary  repairs,  $596,035.00;  making 
in  all  $5,489,819.00. 

Adding  this  sum  to  the  former,  we  have  a  total  expenditure  for 
all  these  institutions  in  a  single  year  amounting  to  $26,938,181.00. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


17 


The  value  of  property,  real  and  personal,  owned  by  these  insti¬ 
tutions  and  devoted  to  charitable  purposes,  is  the  enormous  sum 
of  $T 24>332>337-°°* 

God  has  blessed  New  York,  and  the  blessing  will  follow  the 
State  and  its  people  so  long  as  they  continue  this  good  work. 


SECOND  PAPER. 


THE  LAWS  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK  IN 
RELATION  TO  PRIVATE  CHARITIES. 

By  Michael  J.  Scanlan,  Esq., 

Of  New  York ,  N.  V. 

Under  this  title  I  shall  treat  altogether  of  organized  charities,, 
and  as  the  laws  affecting  them  cover  many  pages  of  our  statute 
books,  and  have  given  rise  to  some  discussion  in  the  Courts,  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  confine  myself  almost  entirely  to  a  statement,  and 
necessarily  a  brief  statement,  of  what  the  law  is,  without  entering 
into  any  very  extended  discussion  of  the  merits  of  any  particular 
legislation. 

Of  the  organization  of  charities,  and  their  power  to  take  by  gift, 
devise,  or  bequest. 

While  unincorporated  societies  are  for  some  purposes  recognized 
by  our  law,  yet  in  order  to  properly  exercise  its  powers  and  receive 
benefits,  a  society  organized  for  charitable  purposes  should  be  in¬ 
corporated.  Unless  it  is  incorporated,  it  is  not  legally  entitled  to 
receive  any  gift,  bequest,  or  devise.  It  may  seem  that  this  fact  is 
generally  known,  and  that,  therefore,  this  statement  is  superfluous; 
but  it  is  unfortunately  true  that  cases  are  constantly  arising  where 
the  charitable  purposes  of  the  maker  of  a  will  are  frustrated  be¬ 
cause  the  society  or  institution  which  he  intended  to  benefit  was. 

not  incorporated,  and  I  may  say  here  that  the  relatives  of  a  de¬ 
ls 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  19 

ceased  person,  instead  of  being  anxious  to  further  his  pious  or  char¬ 
itable  intentions  as  expressed  in  his  will,  are  as  a  rule  willing  to 
reap  any  advantage  they  can  from  a  failure  on  his  part  to  express 
those  intentions  in  a  legal  form.  It  is  the  duty  of  a  lawyer  who 
draws  a  will  to  ascertain  whether  the  society  intended  to  be  bene¬ 
fited  is  incorporated,  and  its  corporate  name;  but  it  frequently 
happens  either  that  he  has  no  time  to  ascertain  that  fact,  or  that 
he  writes  in  the  name  of  the  society  as  it  is  given  to  him  by  his 
client,  without  stopping  to  inquire  whether  or  not  it  is  incor¬ 
porated.  It  is  also  important  in  this  connection,  that  the  corporate 
name  of  the  society  should  be  inserted,  although  a  mistake  in  that 
respect  is  not  fatal  if  the  society  intended  can  be  identified. 

The  general  law  for  the  incorporation  of  charitable  societies  at 
the  present  time  is  known  as  the  “  Membership  Corporation  Law,” 
and  provides  that  five  or  more  persons  may  become  a  corporation 
by  filing  a  certificate  containingcertain  statements.  An  important 
provision  of  this  law  is  that  if  this  certificate  specifies,  among  the 
purposes  for  which  the  society  is  formed,  the  care  of  orphan,  pauper, 
or  destitute  children,  the  establishment  or  maintenance  of  a  ma¬ 
ternity  hospital,  or  for  boarding  or  keeping  nursing  children,  the 
written  approval  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  shall  also  be  en¬ 
dorsed  on  the  certificate,  or  annexed  thereto. 

Th'e  charitable  society  being  incorporated,  is  now  in  a  position 
to  acquire  property  by  purchase,  gift,  or  otherwise;  but  it  is  pro¬ 
vided  bylaw  that  no  person  leaving  a  husband,  wife,  child,  or  par¬ 
ent,  shall  devise  or  bequeath  to  such  a  society  more  than  one-half 
of  his  estate  after  the  payment  of  debts,  and  that  no  such  devise 
or  bequest  shall  be  valid  in  any  will  which  shall  not  have  been 
made  and  executed  at  least  two  months  before  the  death  of  the 
testator.  This  last  provision  in  regard  to  the  time  of  the  execution 
of  the  will  has  brought  to  naught  the  charitable  wishes  of  many 
testators.  Persons  of  small  means  are  particularly  prone  to  put 
off  the  making  of  wills  until  they  are  on  their  death-beds,  and  the 
result  is  that  their  bequests  to  charity  are  attacked  by  their  rel- 


20  REPORT  OP  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

atives,  and  declared  void  if  they  die  within  sixty  days  after  their 
wills  are  made.  As  1  said  above,  it  is  the  rule  for  relatives  to  take 
advantage  of  such  chances.  They  seem  to  think  that  money  given 
to  charity  is  stolen  from  them.  This  sixty-day  clause  does  more 
harm  than  good.  In  my  experience,  it  has  caused  the  failure  of 
many  charitable  intentions.  Why  should  a  man’s  property  go  to 
nephews  or  nieces  whom  perhaps  he  has  never  seen,  rather  than  to 
the  charities  which  he  designates  in  his  will,  simply  because  that 
will  happens  to  have  been  executed  within  sixty  days  of  his  death  ? 
This  statute  seems  to  have  been  designed  to  oppose  what  one  of 
our  learned  judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  thirty  years  ago  called 
“  the  devices  of  priestly  craft.”  He  was  speaking  of  what  he 
called  the  struggle  between  ecclesiastics  and  Commons  in  England. 
He  evidently  had  a  puritanical  horror  of  the  power  of  a  Catholic 
priest.  He  said  further,  “  Their  most  intimate  communion  with 
laymen  was  on  those  occasions  when  sickness  and  infirmity  made 
the  latter  an  easy  prey  to  cupidity  in  the  guise  of  religion.  In  the 
name  of  charity  munificent  gifts  were  obtained  from  the  credulous, 
the  timid,  and  the  ignorant,  all  tending  to  the  secular  aggrandize¬ 
ment  of  the  Church,  until  a  vast  portion  of  the  wealth  of  England  was 
withdrawn  from  the  general  uses  of  society.”  So  far  the  learned 
judge.  But  the  gentleman  who  was  obliged  to  report  or  hand 
down  to  posterity  the  remarks  of  this  learned  judge  was  unwilling, 
evidently,  tfiat  this  spiteful  attack  should  be  published  without  some 
comment,  because  he  adds  this  foot-note  at  the  bottom  of  the  page: 
“  To  put  it  in  plainer  words,  there  was  a  struggle  for  centuries 
between  Christianity  and  the  world  ;  and  as  the  latter  power  was 
in  the  great  majority,  of  course  it  triumphed  as  to  secular  mat¬ 
ters  ;  but  it  never  could  extinguish  the  religious  feeling  in  the  human 
heart.  Riches  are  the  gift  of  God  ;  and  to  Him  we  owe  a  due 
return  therefor.  The  animus  of  the  British  statutes  passed  sub¬ 
sequently  to  the  change  of  the  religion  of  the  realm  by  Act  of 
Parliament,  no  intelligent  reader  of  history  can  fail  to  perceive.” 
It  is  very  gratifying  to  know  that  the  dry  law  book  which  per- 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


21 


petuates  the  judge’s  words  also  contains  the  commentary  of  the 
reporter. 

Of  course,  undue  influence  must  not  be  exerted  on  a  person  mak¬ 
ing  a  will,  either  in  the  cause  of  charity  or  any  other  cause;  but  the 
making  of  the  will  within  sixty  days  of  death  should  not  be,  as  this 
statute  makes  it,  conclusive  evidence  of  undue  influence.  That 
proof  might  be  made  as  in  other  cases,  where  “  the  devices  of  priest¬ 
ly  craft  ”  are  not  suspected. 

With  regard  to  the  work  to  be  performed  by  charitable  institu¬ 
tions,  the  law  recognizing  the  infinite  variety  of  the  objects  upon 
which  charity  is  exercised  simply  provides  that  they  may  be  or¬ 
ganized  for  any  lawful  purpose. 

The  following  provisions  in  regard  to  the  management  of  char¬ 
itable  institutions  should  be  borne  in  mind: 

No  director  or  other  officer  shall  receive,  directly  or  indirectly, 
any  salary,  compensation,  or  emolument,  either  as  officer  or  director,, 
or  in  any  other  capacity,  unless  authorized  by  the  by-laws  of  the 
corporation,  or  by  the  concurring  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  direc¬ 
tors. 

No  director  or  other  officer  shall  be  interested,  directly  or  in¬ 
directly,  in  any  contract  relating  to  the  operations  conducted  by  the 
corporation,  nor  in  any  contract  for  furnishing  supplies  thereto, 
unless  expressly  authorized  by  the  by-laws  of  the  corporation,  and 
by  the  concurring  vote  of  all  the  directors. 

(Under  the  law  as  it  stood  prior  to  1896,  no  trustee  or  director 
could  receive  any  salary,  compensation,  or  emolument.) 

No  purchase,  sale,  mortgage,  or  lease  of  real  property,  shall  be 
made  unless  ordered  by  the  concurring  vote  of  at  least  two-thirds 
of  the  whole  number  of  its  directors. 

No  real  property  shall  be  leased  without  leave  of  Court  for  a 
longer  period  than  three  years,  or  sold  or  mortgaged. 

The  following  provisions  in  regard  to  the  custody  of  children 
are  especially  important: 

No  child  between  two  and  sixteen  can  be  sent  to  almshouse. 


22 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


Such  children  must  be  provided  for  in  families,  orphan  asylums, 
hospitals,  or  other  appropriate  institutions. 

When  any  such  child  shall  be  placed  in  any  orphan  asylum  or 
such  other  institution,  such  child  shall,  when  practicable,  be  so  pro¬ 
vided  for  or  placed  in  such  asylum  or  such  other  institution  as  shall 
then  be  controlled  by  persons  of  the  same  religious  faith  as  the  parents 
of  such  child. 

All  institutions,  public  or  private,  incorporated  or  not  incorpor¬ 
ated,  for  the  reception  of  minors,  whether  as  orphan  or  as  pauper, 
indigent,  destitute,  vagrant,  disorderly  or  delinquent  persons,  are 
required  to  keep  a  record  of  the  date  of  reception,  names,  and 
places  of  birth  and  residence  of  all  children  admitted,  and  how  and 
by  whom  and  for  what  cause  such  child  shall  be  placed  therein, 
and  the  names,  residence,  birthplace,  and  religious  denomination 
of  the  parents  of  such  child,  and  when  the  child  leaves  the  institu¬ 
tion,  a  proper  entry  must  be  made  showing  in  what  manner  such 
child  shall  have  been  disposed  of.  The  Supreme  Court  may,  upon 
application  by  a  parent,  relation,  or  legal  guardian,  after  due  no¬ 
tice  and  hearing,  direct  the  officers  of  such  institution  to  furnish 
extracts  from  such  records. 

The  provision  that  I  have  read  in  regard  to  placing  a  child  in  an 
institution  controlled  by  persons  of  the  same  religious  faith  as  the 
parents  of  such  child  is  common  to  several  of  our  statutes.  It  is 
a  plain  provision  and  a  fair  one ;  yet  it  has  frequently  been 
disregarded  by  committing  magistrates,  and  I  have  often  found 
that  the  officers  of  non-Catholic  institutions  are  not  only  willing  to 
hold  the  children  of  Catholic  parents  in  defiance  of  this  provision 
of  the  statutes,  but  they  have  opposed  in  Court  by  their  counsel, 
the  transfer  of  such  children  to  proper  institutions. 

Probably  the  most  important  law  of  this  State  in  relation  to 
charitable  institutions  is  the  law  passed  in  1896,  known  as  the  State 
Charities  Law,  and  the  most  important  part  of  that  law  is  the  Ar¬ 
ticle  relating  to  the  State  Board  of  Charities.  You  will  remember 
the  contest  before  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1894  over  the 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


23 


attempt  to  introduce  into  the  Constitution  a  provision  that  no  money 
should  be  paid  to  any  institution,  society,  or  undertaking,  which  is 
wholly  or  in  part  under  sectarian  or  ecclesiastical  control,  a 
provision  which  would  prevent  any  Catholic  institution  from 
receiving  from  the  State,  county,  city,  town,  village,  or  other  civil 
division,  any  money  for  children  which  it  was  maintaining  and 
educating.  That  provision  was  not  inserted  in  the  Constitution. 

Instead,  the  Constitutional  Convention  adopted  a  section,  which 
is  now  a  part  of  the  Constitution  of  the  State,  providing  for  the 
organization  of  a  State  Board  of  Charities,  and  further  that  noth¬ 
ing  in  the  Constitution  contained  shall  prevent  the  Legislature 
from  making  such  provision  for  the  education  and  support  of  the 
blind,  the  deaf  and  dumb,  and  juvenile  delinquents  as  to  it  may 
seem  proper,  or  prevent  any  county,  city,  town  or  village  from  pro¬ 
viding  for  the  care,  support,  maintenance  and  secular  education 
of  inmates  of  orphan  asylums,  homes  for  dependent  children  or  cor¬ 
rectional  institutions,  whether  under  public  or  private  control. 
Payments  by  counties,  towns,  and  villages  to  charitable,  eleemosy¬ 
nary,  correctional  and  reformatory  institutions,  wholly  or  partly 
under  private  control,  for  care,  support,  and  maintenance,  maybe 
authorized,  but  shall  not  be  required  by  the  Legislature.  No  such 
payment  shall  be  made  for  any  inmate  of  such  institutions  who  is 
not  received  and  retained  therein  pursuant  to  rules  established  by 
the  State  Board  of  Charities.  Such  rules  shall  be  subject  to  the 
control  of  the  Legislature  by  general  laws. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  this  clause  is  altogether  negative  in  its 
character.  Legislation  under  it  may  be  adopted,  or  not,  as  the 
Legislature  sees  fit. 

The  State  Charities  Law  provides  that  there  shall  continue  to 
be  a  State  Board  of  Charities  composed  of  twelve  members  ap¬ 
pointed  by  the  Governor.  They  shall  visit,  inspect,  and  maintain 
general  supervision  of  all  institutions,  societies,  or  associations 
which  are  of  a  charitable,  eleemosynary,  correctional,  or  reforma¬ 
tory  character,  whether  State  or  municipal,  incorporated  or  not  in- 


24 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


corporated,  which  are  made  subject  to  its  supervision  by  the  con¬ 
stitution  or  by-law  ;  and  shall  aid  in  securing  proper  administration 
of  all  such  institutions,  advise  the  officers,  aid  in  securing  erection 
of  suitable  buildings,  approve  or  disapprove  the  organization  and 
incorporation  of  institutions  aforesaid  of  a  charitable,  eleemosynary, 
correctional,  or  reformatory  character  which  are  or  shall  be  subject 
to  the  supervision  and  inspection  of  the  Board  ;  investigate  the 
management  of  all  institutions  made  subject  to  the  supervision  of 
the  Board,  and  the  conduct  and  efficiency  of  the  officers  or  persons 
charged  with  their  management,  and  the  care  and  relief  of  the  in¬ 
mates  of  such  institutions  therein  or  in  transit ;  aid  in  securing 
the  best  sanitary  condition  of  the  buildings  and  grounds  of  all  such 
institutions,  and  advise  measures  for  the  protection  and  preserva¬ 
tion  of  the  health  of  the  inmates  ;  aid  in  securing  the  establishment 
and  maintenance  of  such  industrial,  educational,  and  moral  train¬ 
ing  in  institutions  having  the  care  of  children  as  is  best  suited  to 
the  needs  of  the  inmates  ;  establish  rules  for  the  reception  and  re¬ 
tention  of  inmates  of  all  institutions  which,  by  section  fourteen  of 
article  eight  of  the  Constitution,  are  subject  to  its  supervision  ;  in¬ 
vestigate  the  condition  of  the  poor  seeking  public  aid,  and  advise 
measures  for  their  relief  ;  administer  the  laws  providing  for  the 
care,  support,  and  removal  of  the  State  and  alien  poor,  and  the 
support  of  Indian  poor  persons  ;  collect  statistical  information  in  re¬ 
spect  to  the  property,  receipts,  and  expenditures  of  all  institutions, 
societies,  and  associations  subject  to  its  supervision,  and  the  number 
and  condition  of  the  inmates  thereof,  and  of  the  poor  receiving 
public  relief. 

Section  eleven  of  the  Act  defines  the  powers  and  duties  of  Board 
on  Visits  and  Inspections  as  follows  :  On  such  visits,  inquiry  shall 
be  made  to  ascertain  whether  all  parts  of  the  State  are  equally 
benefited  by  the  institutions  requiring  State  aid  ;  the  merits  of 
any  and  all  requests  on  the  part  of  any  such  institution  for  State 
aid,  for  any  purpose  other  than  the  usual  expenses  thereof  ;  and 
the  amount  required  to  accomplish  the  object  desired  ;  the  sources 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


35 


of  public  moneys  received  for  the  benefit  of  such  institution, 
as  to  the  proper  and  economical  expenditure  of  such  moneys  and 
the  condition  of  the  finances  generally  ;  whether  the  objects  of  the 
institution  are  being  accomplished  ;  whether  the  laws  and  the  rules 
and  regulations  of  this  Board,  in  relation  to  it,  are  fully  complied 
with  ;  its  methods  of  industrial,  educational,  and  moral  training,  if 
any,  and  whether  the  same  are  best  adapted  to  the  needs  of  its  in¬ 
mates  ;  the  methods  of  government  and  discipline  of  its  in¬ 
mates  ;  the  qualifications  and  general  conduct  of  its  officers  and 
employees ;  the  condition  of  its  grounds,  buildings,  and  other 
property;  any  other  matter  connected  with,  or  pertaining  to,  its 
usefulness  and  good  management. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  that  the  State  Board  of  Charities  is 
clothed  with  extraordinary  powers.  The  power  given  them  to  aid 
in  securing  the  just,  humane,  and  economical  administration  of  all 
institutions  subject  to  its  supervision  might  be  construed  to  give 
them  power  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  management  of  every  insti¬ 
tution.  Thus  far  the  powers  of  the  Board  appear  to  have  been 
wisely  administered  ;  but  the  time  may  come  when  undue  inter¬ 
ference  by  the  Board  with  the  management  of  institutions  will  call 
for  severe  criticism. 

All  officers  of  charitable  institutions  must  furnish  to  the  Board  on  or 
before  the  first  day  of  November  in  each  year  such  statistics  for  the 
preceding  fiscal  year,  as  may  be  required  by  said  Board  ;  and  every 
person  refusing  to  do  so  in  violation  of  this  section  without  reason¬ 
able  excuse,  shall  be  subject  to  a  penalty  of  one  hundred  dollars. 

I  have  by  no  means  mentioned  all  the  provisions  of  this  very  im¬ 
portant  statute  relating  to  the  State  Board  of  Charities  ;  but  I 
think  that  I  have  said  sufficient  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  enor¬ 
mous  powers  conferred  upon  the  Board.  Let  us  hope  that  the 
power  it  has  will  be  always  exercised  for  the  benefit  of  our  char¬ 
itable  institutions.  The  Board  last  year  obtained  from  the  Legisla¬ 
ture  an  additional  Act  authorizing  it  to  supervise  the  placing-out 
of  children  by  institutions,  a  matter  which  sadly  needed  regulating. 


26 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


This  placing-out  Act  contains  a  provision  that,  “in  every  case 
where  practicable ,  any  child  placed  out  shall  be  placed  with  individuals 
of  like  religious  faith  as  the  parents  of  the  child.” 

The  tendency  is,  at  the  present  time,  to  regulate  the  conduct  of  our 
charities  by  legislation.  Every  year  new  Acts  are  introduced  which 
require  careful  scrutiny.  The  right  of  the  State  to  interfere  in  such 
matters  cannot  be  denied  ;  but  let  us  have  no  hasty  legislation  ;  let 
us  have  public  hearings  on  every  bill,  and  deliberation.  The 
power  of  the  State  to  regulate  the  conduct  of  inmates  of  char¬ 
itable  institutions  extends  to  the  practice  of  their  religion.  The 
language  of  the  Constitution  is  that  “  The  free  exercise  and  en¬ 
joyment  of  religious  profession  and  worship,  without  discrimination 
or  preference,  shall  forever  be  allowed  in  this  State  to  all  mankind.” 
This  is  as  broad  as  any  one  could  wish.  Let  us  have  it  carried  out 
in  a  liberal  spirit,  and  no  complaint  can  be  made. 


THIRD  PAPER. 


OUT-DOOR  RELIEF  AS  ADMINISTERED  BY  CHURCH 
SOCIETIES. 

By  Mr.  Luke  J.  Lindon, 

Of  Mt.  Vernon,  N.  V. 

Out-door  Relief  (so-called)  may  be  brbfly  described  as  such  re¬ 
lief  as  is  extended  to  those  who  are  not  inmates  of  eleemosynary, 
correctional,  or  reformatory  asylums  or  institutions. 

The  question  of  its  administration  is  a  most  complex  one,  and  one 
of  very  great  importance,  for  the  results  are  most  far-reaching,  and 
often  fail  to  realize  the  expectations  of  those  dispensing  it. 

The  subject  assigned  me  as  a  title  for  this  paper  divides  the 
question  at  the  outset,  by  confining  its  consideration  to  that  out¬ 
door  relief  administered  by  Church  societies,  and  eliminating  from 
our  consideration  any  such  relief  as  may  be  distributed  by  public 
officials  or  private  individuals. 

And  I  presume  the  reason  of  this  distinction  is,  that  Church 
societies,  in  extending  relief  to  those  in  need,  are,  or  should  be, 
actuated  by  the  grand  and  noble  motive  of  Christian  charity, 
rather  than  that  of  merely  relieving  animal  suffering,  or  even  the 
higher  one  of  simple  philanthropy. 

In  other  words,  the  work  of  the  Church  society  is  to  endeavor 
to  improve  the  moral  as  well  as  the  physical  condition  of  those  in 
want  and  suffering;  to  offer  them  spiritual  comfort  and  benefits  as 
well  as  material  assistance;  to  strive  to  diminish  their  distress  and 


28  REPORT  OE  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

relieve  their  misery,  but,  at  the  same  time,  to  extend  to  them  sym¬ 
pathy  and  solace,  and  endeavor  to  make  them  better  individuals,, 
better  citizens,  better  Christians. 

Such  an  aim,  with  such  results,  can  scarcely  be  expected  from 
public  or  official  relief,  which,  as  a  rule,  is  cold  and  perfunctory,  and 
often  has  not  even  the  merit  of  being  prompted  by  philanthropy. 

Of  course,  private  individuals,  prompted  by  a  love  of  their  fel¬ 
low-creatures  for  God’s  sake,  can,  and,  thank  God  !  often  do  per¬ 
form  many  acts  of  heroic  Christian  charity,  and  this,  to  all  intents 
and  purposes,  is  the  work  of  a  Church  society,  even  though  the 
membership  be  but  one. 

Among  the  misfortunes  to  which  flesh  is  heir,  is  that  of  meet¬ 
ing  occasionally  those  who,  in  place  of  admiring  and  utilizing  that 
which  is  praiseworthy  and  good,  prefer  to  reject  and  condemn  it  be¬ 
cause  some  of  its  features  may  be  imperfect  or  liable  to  abuse. 
They  spend  their  energy  in  looking  for  spots  on  the  sun,  even  at 
the  cost  of  time  and  labor  of  smoking  glasses  with  which  to  en¬ 
deavor  to  find  them. 

So  it  is  with  the  subject  under  consideration.  Before  we  consider 
the  great  and  beneficial  results  that  may  and  that  have  followed 
the  proper  administering  of  out-door  relief,  let  us  glance  hastily 
at  some  of  the  objections  that  we  hear  urged  against  its  efficiency 
for  good. 

We  are  told  that  such  relief  stifles  self-respect  and  self-reliance, 
places  a  premium  on  indolence,  and  fosters  pauperism. 

Now,  does  it  ? 

An  experience  of  many  years  in  the  Conferences  of  St.  Vincent 
de  Paul  confirms  me  in  the  opinion  that,  when  properly  admin¬ 
istered,  it  decidedly  does  not. 

The  purest  charity  is  that  which  would  wish  to  see  no  object  for 
its  labors,  and,  guided  by  this  motive — practical  Christian  charity 
endeavors  to  remove  the  cause  of  misery  rather  than  to  relieve 
its  effects, — to  give  the  most  efficient  and  beneficial  aid  that  can  be 
given  to  the  poor,  the  help  that  helps  them  to  help  themselves. 


REPORT  OE  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


29 


Is  it  rational  to  suppose  that  the  helping  of  people  to  help  them¬ 
selves,  and  thus  improving  their  position  by  the  aid  of  their  own 
-efforts,  will  incite  a  desire  on  their  part  to  fall  back  to  their  form¬ 
er  condition  and  make  them  eager  to  be  again  assisted  to  help 
themselves  ? 

Will  throwing  a  rope  to  a  drowning  man,  and  pulling  him  ashore 
with  the  aid  of  his  own  exertions,  create  a  disposition  on  his  part 
to  again  fall  overboard  for  the  sake  of  having  someone  help  him 
to  save  himself? 

It  is  true  that  there  are  those  who  will  persist  in  self-destruction 
even  after  having  been  rescued,  but,  fortunately,  they  are  the  ex¬ 
ception,  just  in  about  the  same  proportion  as  are  those  who,  having 
been  considered  deserving,  abuse  the  efforts  of  the  charitable. 

The  undeserving  may  be  helped.  The  visitor’s  sympathy  may 
be  wasted  on  the  unworthy.  The  distribution  of  relief  may  at 
times  work  abuse,  but,  as  before  stated,  when  it  is  properly  ad¬ 
ministered,  its  distribution  can  be  surrounded  by  safeguards,  and 
such  abuses  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and,  as  it  is,  they  are  far  less 
numerous  than  we  would  at  first  suppose. 

Besides,  is  it  not  better,  aye,  immeasurably  better,  that  some  of 
the  unworthy  should  receive  attention  and  assistance,  than  that, 
through  over-caution,  one  deserving  case  should  suffer?  Hence  it 
is  well,  sometimes,  yes,  at  all  times,  to  give  the  poor  the  benefit 
of  every  reasonable  doubt. 

The  trouble  is,  that  with  some  of  our  practical,  up-to-date, 
scientific  philanthropists,  there  seems  to  be  more  exultation  in 
discovering  the  one  case  where  good  work  and  devoted  efforts  are 
abused  and  wasted,  than  over  the  ninety  and  nine  instances  where 
their  results  bring  peace  and  good-will  to  man,  glory  to  God,  and 
joy  and  gladness  to  His  angels  and  saints. 

Should  a  helpless  but  devoted  mother  and  innocent  children  be 
left  to  starve  because,  forsooth,  some,  of  any  provision  made  for 
them,  might  be  consumed  by  a  worthless  vagabond  father?  Oh, 
no  ;  try  to  reform  the  father,  if  possible,  and  if  not,  have  him  com- 


30  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

pelled  to  care  for  his  children  or  undergo  punishment  for  not  doing 
it  ;  but,  meanwhile,  look  after  the  mother  and  children. 

Again,  it  may  be  true  that  the  most  deserving  are  not  always 
reached, — for  many  of  the  truly  deserving  hide  their  poverty  and 
suffer  their  privations  and  misery  in  silence.  But  this  assuredly  is 
not  the  fault  of  the  system,  assuming  that  every  possible  effort  is 
made  to  reach  all  in  need  of  relief. 

It  is  impossible  to  remove  all  the  poverty  and  wretchedness  from 
off  this  footstool ;  but  if  those  who  have  devoted  themselves  to  the 
work  of  alleviating  distress  are  zealous  and  really  anxious  to  dis¬ 
cover,  and  do  all  they  can  to  relieve,  every  worthy  case  of  destitu¬ 
tion,  either  spiritual  or  temporal,  or  both,  certainly  they  cannot  be 
blamed  if  deserving  cases  may  escape  their  observation,  and  so  fail 
to  receive  that  assistance  they  are  most  willing  to  extend. 

Another  important  point  to  be  considered  is,  that  temporal  re¬ 
lief  alone  will  not  in  all  cases  prove  efficacious.  Treating  a  poor 
man  as  a  hungry  or  dirty  animal,  and  simply  filling  his  stomach  or 
cleaning  him,  will  alone  accomplish  very-little  towards  elevating  him 
above  his  unfortunate  surroundings  or  the  conditions  which  may 
have  led  to  them. 

The  distribution  of  material  relief  is  certainly  most  laudable  and 
praiseworthy,  and  if  performed  with  the  proper  spirit,  even  though 
it  be  but  giving  a  cup  of  cold  water,  we  are  assured  on  Divine  au¬ 
thority,  will  not  go  unrewarded.  But  this  should  only  be  a  means 
to  an  end — a  nobler,  greater  end.  This  relief  should  be  a  method 
of  proving  to  the  poor  that  the  visitor  dispensing  it  is  their 
friend. 

Having  established  this  claim,  and  being  recognized  as  such,  the 
visitor  is  then  in  a  position  to  improve  the  condition,  both  of  their 
hearts  and  minds,  as  well  as  their  bodies  ;  and  as  affecting  them¬ 
selves,  affecting  those  dependent  upon  them,  and  affecting  society 
at  large,  making  them  more  useful  citizens,  less  of  a  burden  to 
their  fellows, — and  all  this  for  the  glory  of  God,  who  has  left  them 
with  us  as  our  neighbors,  and  who  has  promised  that  the  slightest 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


31 


relief  extended  to  the  least  of  them  in  His  name  should  be  reward¬ 
ed  as  having  been  given  to  Him. 

I  remember  a  very  old  priest  once  saying,  when  talking  on  the 
subject,  that  “  many  people  went  hungry  because  they  did  not  say 
the  Lord’s  Prayer.” 

The  key-note  to  successful  results  in  distributing  out-door  re¬ 
lief  is  for  the  visitor  to  be  one  with  the  family  he  is  visiting.  He 
must  not  patronize  them.  He  will  fail  if  he  attempt  to  impress 
them  with  his  own  superiority  or  importance.  They  may  accept 
his  relief,  but  withhold  their  confidence  and  love.  Without  de¬ 
scending  to  their  level,  he  may,  by  becoming  one  with  them,  by 
“lending  himself  to  them,”  raise  them  far  above  their  own. 

Such  a  visitor  can  always  find  means  to  introduce  some  few 
words  of  consolation  and  encouragement  and  even  advice,  and 
none  of  these  will  be  without  effect.  Strict  and  proper  investiga- 
tion'should  in  every  instance  precede  or  accompany  the  distribu¬ 
tion  of  relief  ;  and  if  conditions  are  such  in  some  cases,  that  im¬ 
mediate  assistance  is  required,  it  should  only  be  of  a  temporary 
character,  until  necessary  inquiries  can  be  made. 

The  mere  asking  for  assistance  does  not  warrant  its  bestowal  ; 
but  great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  humiliate  the  poor.  There 
is  no  need  to  make  the  inquiry  offensive  to  them,  nor  is  it  neces¬ 
sary  to  parade  the  fact  of  their  condition,  and  that  they  are  being 
assisted.  On  the  contrary,  both  should  be  hidden  from  outsiders 
as  much  as  possible.  Their  feelings  should  be  respected  and, 
above  all,  they  should  be  urged  in  every  way  to  value  and  main¬ 
tain  their  own  self-respect. 

The  distribution  of  alms  that  humiliates  the  recipient  does  little 
good,  and  often  great  harm.  It  is  accepted  as  a  matter  of  fact,  or 
because  absolutely  indispensable,  and  rarely  incites  gratitude. 

Visitors  to  the  poor  should  always  avoid  too  great  and  unguarded 
familiarity  when  visiting  them,  otherwise  that  respect  which 
should  mingle  with  regard  for  the  visitor  might  be  lacking. 
Advice,  and  even  strong  remonstrance,  may  be  necessary  at  times,. 


32  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

and  too  much  familiarity  might  render  them  unavailing.  Care 
should  also  be  taken  not  to  be  too  overzealous  in  speaking  of  re¬ 
ligious  matters,  particularly  at  first,  until  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  dispositions  of  those  who  are  visited,  otherwise  hypocrisy 
and  a  feigned  love  of  religion  might  be  engendered  as  a  possible 
means  of  receiving  greater  assistance. 

A  visitor  to  the  poor  should  be  patient  with  them.  A  poor  per¬ 
son  may  understand  why  he  cannot  obtain  material  assistance,  but 
he  will  not  excuse  one,  who  professes  to  come  as  a  friend,  being 
harsh  and  severe  with  him. 

But  I  may  hear  it  stated  that  such  visiting  is  impossible  ;  the 
idea  of  such  visitors  is  visionary  ;  such  an  administering  of  relief  is 
too  theoretical,  and  cannot  be  realized  ! 

This  is  not  so. 

There  are  such  visitors,  and  there  is  such  visiting  and  such  a 
distribution  of  out-door  relief. 

The  Conferences  of  the  Society  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  pursue 
their  work  after  such  a  plan  and  with  such  an  aim.  There  are  also 
many  auxiliary  societies  of  ladies  helping  them  on  the  same  lines, 
subject  to  such  direction  as  the  Conferences,  warranted  by  their 
great  and  varied  experience,  may  suggest. 

Undoubtedly  there  are  many  other  Church  organizations  follow¬ 
ing  similar  and  equally  effective  methods,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
great  legion  of  devoted  religious,  men  and  women,  whose  lives  are 
one  continual  sacrifice  for  their  fellow-creatures.  But  being 
entirely  familiar  with  the  principles  and  practices  of  the  Society  of 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  I  trust  I  may  be  allowed  to  refer  to  its 
methods  as  being  to  my  mind  a  most  effectual,  if  not  the  most 
effectual,  means  of  distributing  out-door  relief. 

The  visiting  of  the  poor  in  their  dismal  homes  and  bringing 
them  relief  is  the  distinctive  work  of  its  members.  An  imperative 
rule  requires  them,  when  visiting  the  poor,  to  do  so  in  pairs.  This 
not  only  prevents  any  appearance  of  scandal,  but  it  affords  an 
opportunity  for  the  observation  and  opinion  of  two  persons  in 


RE  POUT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


33 


place  of  a  single  visitor.  Besides  this,  the  members  making  the 
initial  visit  are  not  always  those  who  continue  helping  the  family 
or  person  in  distress.  Those  who  are  best  adapted  to  the  work 
are  selected  to  make  the  first  visit,  when  most  of  the  investigation 
is  made. 

Members  of  the  Society,  when  visiting-  the  poor,  are  cautioned 
also  against  extending  any  assistance  from  their  own  means  besides 
that  coming  from  the  Conference.  Were  this  allowed,  families 
would  cease  to  be  assisted  according  to  their  real  wants,  but  rather 
according  to  the  greater  pity  or  resources  of  the  visitor. 

We  hear  much  to-day  about  improving  the  condition  of  the  poor, 
and  reducing  the  visits  of  relief  to  a  scientific  system.  Allow  me 
to  read  to  you  an  extract  from  a  circular  letter  of  the  First  Presi¬ 
dent  General  of  the  Society,  M.  Bailly,  dated  July  14th,  1841,  in 
which  he  states: 

“  Let  us  therefore  courageously  enter  the  foul  dwellings  in  which 
the  poor  are  often  compelled  to  live;  but,  it  is  not  enough  to 
enter  them,  let  us  sit  on  the  half-broken  chair  which  is  offered  to 
us,  let  us  converse  with  the  poor.  Confidence  will  thus  be  gained. 
We  shall  become  acquainted  with  their  sufferings,  their  wishes, 
and  maybe,  with  their  vices.  We  shall  cause  their  children  to  be 
sent  to  school.  We  shall  save  them  from  vagrancy.  Thus  we 
shall  have  foresight  for  the  poor,  who  are  so  often  regardless  of 
the  future.  Yes!  you  shall  be  their  providence,  and  open  better 
prospects  to  them.” 

Again  he  states:  “  Do  not  be  content  to  dole  out  alms;  that  is 
a  very  cheap  and  unwise  charity,  even  if  you  had  wealth,  and  as 
it  is,  you  have  none.  Go  and  make  friends  among  the  poor. 
Give  to  each  family  what  personal  help  your  own  better  training 
enables  you  to  give.  In  all  cases,  help  them  to  help  themselves, 
and  consider  it  your  primary  duty,  whether  you  take  them  tickets 
or  not,  to  render  them  some  personal  service.” 

Again,  in  August,  1837,  M.  Lallier,  the  Secretary  General  of 
the  Society,  in  a  similar  circular  wrote  as  follows: 


34  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

“We  have  often  noticed  that  poor  people  are  easily  affected 
by  marks  of  politeness,  and  we  do  not  neglect  that  means  of  gain¬ 
ing  their  confidence.  Taking  off  one’s  hat,  when  one  enters  their 
dwelling,  produces  a  favorable  impression  upon  them.  They  are 
grateful  when  we  accept  the  chair  they  offer.  They  are  delighted 
if  we  seem  to  take  some  interest  in  the  picture  of  their  miseries 
and  the  recital  of  petty  household  annoyances.  By  such  slight 
attentions,  that  cost  nothing,  a  stronger  impression  is  produced, 
their  confidence  and  affection  are  sooner  gained  than  by  assistance 
however  plentiful.  One  is  no  more  considered  by  them  as  a  kind 
of  public  officer  calling  every  week  to  deal  out  regular  supplies, 
but  rather  as  a  friend  and  adviser  to  be  applied  to  in  the  hard  and 
painful  emergencies  of  life.” 

Another  President,  M.  Gossin,  under  date  of  Nov.  ist,  1847,, 
writes  on  this  subject  as  follows: 

“  The  member  of  the  Society  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  who  con¬ 
siders  himself  only  as  a  bearer  of  bread  to  an  indigent  family, 
understands  neither  charity,  nor  the  Society,  nor  the  poor.  The 
Society  has  never  been  and  never  will  be  an  association  of  porters. 
Simply  sending  bread  tickets  to  the  poor  is  keeping  back  part  of 
the  alms  due  to  them,  I  mean,  what  a  good  word  from  the  heart 
would  have  added  to  that  bread. 

“What  moves  a  poor  man  to  the  very  bottom  of  his  soul  is  to 
see  that  you  think  of  him,  look  after  him,  and  love  him.  It  is  to 
feel  that  the  visitor  gives  himself,  or  at  least  lends  himself,  to  him 
once  a  week. 

“  Charity  is  efficient  only  when  complete,  and  it  is  only  com¬ 
plete  when  it  is  true.  And  in  a  truly  charitable  man,  all  his 
faculties  concur  in  the  act  of  almsgiving.” 

This,  in  substance,  is  the  spirit  in  which  the  work  of  the  Con¬ 
ference  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  was  undertaken,  and  in  which  it  is 
still  carried  on  to-day. 

One  of  the  most  pleasing  and  impressive  experiences  I  can  recall 
was  assisting  a  fellow-Vincentian  on  a  Christmas  eve  to  distribute. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


35 


in  addition  to  ordinary  relief,  a  few  holiday  gifts  around  the 
empty  stockings  of  five  little  children  for  whom  Christmas  might 
have  been  a  cheerless  day  of  hunger  and  disappointment,  had  it 
not  been  for  this  out-door  relief.  And,  as  a  worn-out  mother  and 
a  sick  and  helpless  father  watched  the  proceedings,  with  tears  of 
gratitude  welling  in  their  eyes,  their  unsolicited  promise  of  the 
prayers  of  those  sleeping  children,  together  with  their  own,  was 
reward  a  thousand-fold  for  the  slight  labor  of  love. 

Anyone  may  realize  the  enormous  power  for  good  that  visitors 
may  exercise  under  such  circumstances. 

Such  a  power  has  been  the  agency  among  the  poor  that  has  ex¬ 
tinguished  or  held  in  check  ideas  of  discontent  and  rebellion.  It 
has  brought  the  erring  back  to  the  truth,  the  wayward  to  the 
Sacraments  and  the  paths  of  rectitude. 

By  holding  up  the  hands  of  the  helpless  mother  or  by  practical 
encouragement  to  the  luckless  father,  it  has  held  families  intact 
and  preserved  them  from  annihilation.  It  has  saved  from  mortifi¬ 
cation  and  shame  the  declining  years  of  penniless  old  age,  glori¬ 
fied  by  a  life  of  industry,  honesty,  and  sobriety.  It  has  been  po¬ 
tent  to  soothe  the  sufferings  of  the  forsaken  or  widowed  mother 
and  her  helpless  offspring,  and  to  comfort  the  child  to  whom  a 
parent’s  love  and  care  were  unknown  blessings.  It  has  been  able 
to  transform  the  last  hours  of  the  wretched  and  the  miserable  into 
moments  of  peace  and  rest  and  blessed  resignation;  and,  when 
life  had  left  their  racked  and  worn-out  frames,  it  has  caused  them 
to  be  decently  interred  with  the  respect  and  honor  due  to  the 
handiwork  of  their  Creator. 

This,  and  more,  aye,  a  thousand  times  more,  has  been  achieved 
by  the  power  of  Christian  charity  administering  out-door  relief, 
and  even  on  those  not  recipients  of  its  bounty.  The  self-sacrific¬ 
ing  devotedness  of  its  ministers  has  caused  the  scoffer  to  admire 
and  respect,  the  unbeliever  to  reflect  and  believe,  the  indifferent 
to  become  enthusiastic,  and  the  faithful  to  rejoice  and  persevere. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  add  that  those  to  whom  relief  is  given  are 


36  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

not  the  only  beneficiaries  of  out-door  relief  distributed  with  the 
right  motive,  for,  of  it  can  truthfully  be  said: 

“  It  is  twice  blessed, — 

It  blesseth  him  that  gives  and  him  that  takes.” 

For  the  visitors  themselves,  in  their  rounds  among  the  poor, 
may  have  their  own  lives  cheered,  and  they  themselves  receive  in 
peace  of  mind,  contentment,  and  satisfaction,  far  more  in  benefits 
than  they  dispense.  Possibly  this  is  but  the  foretaste  of  that  re¬ 
ward  of  a  hundred-fold  and  a  heavenly  kingdom  promised  by  a 
loving  Master  to  those  who  do  works  of  mercy  in  His  name. 


FOURTH  PAPER. 


DAY  NURSERIES  AS  A  MEANS  OF  HELPING  THE 
POOR  TO  HELP  THEMSELVES. 

By  Mrs.  Marie  A.  Lopez, 

Of  New  York ,  N.  Y. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  charity  more  deserving. 

It  is  a  separation  of  mother  and  child  for  not  more  than  eight  or 
ten  hours,  and  yet  in  enables  the  poor,  distressed  mother  to  find 
employment  and  keep  a  shelter  for  herself  and  little  ones.  Some¬ 
times,  too,  it  provides  for  a  poor,  feeble  father  or  mother,  or  hus¬ 
band,  good  and  kind,  but  who  through  illness  or  some  other  cause 
is  unable  to  find  employment. 

The  nursery  not  only  cares  for  the  little  ones,  but  it  also  pro¬ 
vides  work  by  the  day,  i.  e.,  cleaning,  washing  or  ironing,  and 
even  sewing.  Some  of  the  mothers  are  clerks  at  the  various 
large  dry  goods  establishments,  or  are  cashiers  in  some  business 
house. 

In  order  that  the  mother  may  be  encouraged  to  greater  efforts, 
clothes  are  made  by  friends  outside,  who  form  little  sewing  circles, 
and  whilst  enjoying  the  company  of  their  bright  companions, 
make  it  possible  for  us  to  clothe  the  dear  children  left  to  our  care. 

The  mother  returns  from  her  work  after  the  first  day’s  experience, 
and  is  agreeably  surprised  to  find  that  her  little  one  has  been  well 
cared  for  by  perfect  strangers;  the  little  one  is  bright,  clean  and 
cheerful,  and  full  of  all  the  wonders  of  the  kindergarten  and  play- 

37 


o8  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

room,  well  fed,  and  perfectly  happy  with  the  pleasant  lot  that  has 
befallen  her. 

The  mother  gains  fresh  courage  and  continues  her  work,  and  it  oft- 
times  happens  that  she  is  so  invigorated,  along  with  the  child,  that 
after  a  little  while  she  finds,  after  all,  she  has  time  to  attend  to  Mass 
on  Sundays,  and  even  to  be  up  and  out  on  the  first  Friday  of  the 
month  to  approach  the  altar  and  receive  Holy  Communion,  be¬ 
cause  she  has  become  a  member  of  the  “  League”  since  her  child 
has  attended  the  nursery.  So  in  every  way  there  is  a  distinct  im¬ 
provement  in  mother  and  child,  and  what  is  better,  the  idle  or, 
more  frequently,  sick  husband  at  home,  is  encouraged  to  do  some¬ 
thing  for  himself  and  those  dependent  upon  him. 

As  for  the  pleasure  the  children  themselves  find  in  the  nursery  I 
need  only  mention  one  or  two  instances,  one  of  a  mother  who  had 
two  boys  there,  and  who  told  me  with  much  satisfaction  that  the 
children  missed  the  nursery  and  its  little  pleasures.  So  much  so 
that  on  Sundays  or  holidays,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  they  had 
asked  permission  to  walk  down  the  street,  just  to  take  a  look  at 
it,  saying,  “I  feel  so  lonely,  mamma.”  A  small  child,  a  little 
boy,  strayed  away  from  home,  and  when  the  mother  met  him  re¬ 
turning,  saying,  “  Why,  John,  where  have  you  been  ?  ”  responded 
that  he  had  just  walked  down  to  look  at  the  nursery. 

To  me,  the  day  nursery  is  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  laudable 
charities  of  the  present  time,  but  they  must  be  perfect  in  their  work, 
and  in  order  that  this  end  maybe  attained,  those  who  care  for  the 
little  ones  must  be  deeply  interested  in  the  whole  family,  and,  in 
fact,  be  mothers  to  all. 

The  necessity  of  day  nurseries  in  the  great  city  of  New  York  was 
brought  home  to  me  in  this  way. 

A  child,  only  a  few  days  old,  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  a 
lady  with  the  request  that,  if  possible,  she  would  find  a  place  of  ref¬ 
uge  where  the  little  one  could  be  cared  for,  as  the  mother  was  dy¬ 
ing  of  sheer  weakness;  and  could  you  wonder  at  it  when  I  tell  you 
that  the  father  of  this  child  was  earning  but  $4  per  week!  This 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


39 


small  sum  had  to  provide  for  everything  that  was  necessary  for  the 
little  family.  The  physician  told  some  ladies  who  were  visiting  and 
bringingfood  for  the  sick  ones,  that  the  child  must  be  immediate¬ 
ly  removed  from  the  mother,  as  the  latter  could  not  possibly  live. 
The  question  then  arose  as  to  what  should  be  done  with  baby. 
The  lady  was  told,  much  to  her  amazement,  that  she  should  make  it 
her  duty  to  provide  a  shelter  for  it,  for  although  she  had  a  com, 
fortable  home,  with  no  children,  still  she  was  a  busy  woman,  hav¬ 
ing,  in  addition  to  the  duties  of  her  own  home,  a  mission  which 
occupied  at  least  two  days  of  the  week  of  her  time,  so  she  felt  it 
incumbent  upon  her  to  find  a  good  institution  wherein  to  put  the 
little  one,  and  pay  for  its  care  and  attention  there.  But  where 
shall  she  go  ?  Her  first  thought  naturally  is  to  consult  her  spiritual 
director,  which  she  does,  and  she  is  sent  by  him  to  a  person  who 
can  give  her  the  desired  information  regarding  a  home.  The  in¬ 
formation  conveyed  to  her  was  to  the  effect  that  all  the  Catholic 
homes  were  full,  and  that  there  was  no  room  for  baby.  She  is 
then  sent  to  the  Brooklyn  Maternity,  and  Miss  Allen  (the  lady  in 
charge),  after  a  few  minutes’  conversation  through  the  telephone, 
is  requested  to  send  the  party  up-town  to  a  large  institution 
where  babies  are  cared  for,  and  everything  is  arranged  to  the  sat¬ 
isfaction  of  all  concerned.  The  institution  is  a  Protestant  one,  and 
the  price  per  month  charged  is  $6;  and  even  though  they  were 
very  kind,  still  something  to  the  effect  that  “It  is  a  pity  that 
Catholics  cannot  do  for  their  own  ”  was  overheard.  My  friend 
thought  so  too,  and  after  thanking  the  good  priest  who  sent  her,  ex¬ 
plained  what  had  happened,  and  asked  him  the  question,  “Why  have 
we  to  depend  upon  others  to  take  care  of  our  poor  and  friendless 
ones  ? ” 

The  answer  was  that  Catholic  ladies  are  not  as  zealous  as  non- 
Catholics  in  this  regard,  and  that  the  clergy  have  so  much  to  do 
that  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  do  more;  that  there  are  plenty  of 
Catholic  institutions,  but  have  so  many  poor  to  care  for,  they  are 
soon  filled.  My  friend  said,  “  Catholic  ladies  did  not  do  more  be- 


40 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


cause  there  is  so  little  left  for  them  to  do,  as  so  much  is  given  to 
religious.”  The  good  priest  invited  the  lady  to  try  and  see  what 
she  could  do  in  the  direction  indicated.  She  did  try,  and  has  con¬ 
tinued  trying,  now  nearly  six  years,  and  the  result  is  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  Nurseries  of  Brooklyn,  the 
first  through  permission  from  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McDonnell,  who 
has  always  been  very  kind  to  her  in  every  way.  After  the  first 
house  was  secured  at  155  Sands  St.,  Brooklyn,  it  was  thought  best 
to  form  a  committee,  who  have  accomplished  very  much  good, 
the  proofs  of  which  are  that  in  the  space  of  five  years  three  branch¬ 
es  and  the  Immaculate  Conception,  which  we  will  call  the  “  Mother 
House,”  have  been  established,  and  Father  Duffy’s,  of  St.  Agnes 
Church,  which  is  independent  of  these.  The  Nursery  of  St.  Agnes 
is  a  very  complete  and  perfect  one,  and  I  have  heard  they  are  all 
doing  well,  and  not  causing  the  pastors  any  inconvenience  regard¬ 
ing  their  support,  as  I  believe  that  the  committee  looks  after  this 
entirely. 

The  New  York  nurseries  number  40,  four  of  which  are  Catholic; 
one  is  conducted  by  a  committee  of  gentlemen,  and  is  under  the 
care  of  the  good  lady  who,  I  believe,  is  the  founder  of  it.  This- 
nursery  is  in  the  Paulist  Fathers’  parish,  and  is,  I  understand,  the 
first  Catholic  nursery  opened  in  this  city.  There  is  the  St.  John 
Nursery,  cared  for  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity  from  the  Foundling 
Asylum;  next,  the  French  Sisters,  who  have  one  on  Washington 
Square.  The  Presentation  Nursery,  on  East  33d  St.,  was  opened 
by  permission  of  His  Grace,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Corrigan, 
and  is  subject  to  him  through  his  clergy.  These  nurseries  are 
supported  mainly  by  contribution.  I  do  not  know  positively  if 
such  is  the  case,  but  presume  that  possibly  some  donations  are  sent 
them  to  their  door,  as  is  the  case  with  us.  Meat  and  bread  we  col¬ 
lect  each  evening,  as  the  Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor  are  accustomed 
to  do.  Groceries  are  sent  by  donation  at  Thanksgiving  and  at 
Christmas  time,  although  quite  frequently  during  the  year  small, 
donations  of  this  kind  are  received.  Vegetables  I  myself  have: 


REPORT  OP  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


41 


collected  once  a  week  at  the  markets,  and  in  this  way  we  are 
enabled  to  provide  for  at  least  a  week,  and  even  at  times  can 
spare  some  to  help  others.  Every  nursery  can  do  this,  and  I 
know  that  few  can  find  it  in  their  hearts  to  refuse  to  help  them  in 
its  efforts  to  help  mothers  and  their  helpless  little  ones. 

Within  the  nursery,  when  our  children  are  ill,  they  are  the 
objects  of  our  tenderest  care,  and  if  our  good  physician  consents, 
the  disease  not  being  contagious,  the  mother  is  permitted  to  bring 
the  child  to  the  nursery  as  usual,  and  there  it  is  nursed  back  to  health. 

If  the  nursery  could  spare  one  of  its  staff  to  visit  daily  the  homes 
of  doubtful  cases,  there  would  be  little  danger  in  nursery  work, 
and,  in  my  opinion,  there  is  charity  in  caring  for  children  of  even 
unworthy  parents,  as  the  example  seen  in  the  nurseries  among  the 
other  children,  sweet  and  simple  in  their  ways  and  full  of  childish 
devotion,  must  of  necessity  be  a  benefit  to  them,  and  through  them 
to  their  parents,  while  the  visits  made  to  their  homes,  with  a  little 
tact,  can  bring  matters  even  there  to  a  better  condition. 

It  seems  to  be  a  question  whether  nurseries  should  be  under  re¬ 
ligious  or  secular  care. 

It  would  be  very  difficult  to  find  such  help  as  we  require  among 
the  women  we  could  afford  to  employ,  as  the  services  of  a  trained 
nurse  would  be  too  expensive  a  luxury  for  us,  much  as  we  need 
the  help  of  their  knowledge  and  experience. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be  equally  difficult  to  find  among 
charitable  ladies  who  offer  assistance,  anyone  who  is  able  to  devote 
all  her  time  and  energies  (and  this  is  necessary)  to  the  nursery 
work,  the  world  having  so  many  claims  on  those  who  live  in  it. 

Therefore,  it  seems  that  the  care  of  a  religious  community  would 
be  preferable,  both  for  the  perfection  and  permanency  of  the  work. 
The  religious  could  be  trained  to  care  for  the  physical,  as  well  as 
the  mental  and  spiritual,  welfare  of  the  children,  and  their  time 
for  devotion  should  be  suited  to  the  work,  as  our  day  is  from  sev¬ 
en  to  seven  with  the  children,  and  they  are  the  first  consideration^ 
their  care  our  offering  to  God. 


42 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


If  each  pastor  in  whose  parish  nurseries  are  started  could  be 
director  and  treasurer  for  the  house,  it  would  be  a  very  great  back¬ 
ing  for  its  success  ;  otherwise,  I  believe  it  is  a  St.  Vincent  de  Paul 
work. 

As  our  children  grow  older,  they  are  taught  by  practical  example 
the  different  branches  of  housework,  and  one  day  of  the  week 
should  be  set  aside  for  sewing,  as  it  is  well  for  children,  even  boys, 
to  know  something  of  this  useful  art. 

We  receive  children  of  all  ages.  One  very  frail  infant  came  to 
us  first  when  only  seven  days  old,  and  is  now  (ten  months  later) 
still  with  us,  well  and  strong. 

A  poor  mother  was  sent  to  us  with  an  infant  ten  days  old,  and 
three  other  small  children.  Her  husband — a  good  man — had  been 
out  of  employment  some  time,  and  she  wTas  anxious  to  have  work 
herself  at  once.  We  were  able  to  give  her  employment  at  house¬ 
cleaning,  and  for  seven  days  she  worked,  earning  $1.50  per  day, 
while  the  children  were  cared  for  by  the  nursery.  The  happy  re¬ 
sult  of  this  was  that  the  wife  was  able  to  give  sufficient  money  to 
her  husband  to  go  to  Jersey,  where  he  was  able  to  take  a  position  and 
pay  for  lodging  until  he  himself  received  money  enough  to  support 
his  family. 

In  conversation  with  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  Society  of 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul  a  short  time  ago,  he  expressed  his  disappoint¬ 
ment  in  trying  to  find  Catholic  homes  in  the  country  for  poor 
children  who  require  a  change  and  are  not  able  to  find  always 
the  means  of  leaving  the  city  themselves.  Some  two  years  ago  I 
thought  we  had  made  a  very  simple  arrangement  for  filling  this 
need.  A  gentleman  interested  in  the  sale  of  property  at  Rockland 
Lake  had  promised  to  provide  a  house  for  one  month,  and  the 
Children  of  Mary  of  our  parish  church  were  glad  of  the  opportuni¬ 
ty  of  joining  the  party  at  the  rate  of  $4.00  a  wTeek. 

The  children  were  to  be  taken  at  one  dollar  awTeek  each.  Every 
child  of  Mary  and  each  child  was  to  bring  their  plate,  cup  and  sau¬ 
cer,  spoon,  knife  and  fork,  and  one  or  two  of  the  mothers  had  vol- 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


43 


unteered  to  go  and  attend  the  cooking  and  heavy  labor,  while  we, 
our  nurses,  and  the  young  ladies,  were  each  to  take  charge  of  a  cer¬ 
tain  number  of  children  divided  equally,  each  to  attend  to  our  cot, 
and  help  one  another  as  much  as  possible.  The  Angelus  bell  would 
call  us  together  in  the  morning  and  after  Mass,  if  possible,  the 
children  being  together  and  attended  to  by  their  nurses  at  the  break¬ 
fast  table.  Our  own  breakfast  over,  we  intended  starting  on  a 
berrying  party.  On  our  way  home  we  would  call  on  a  few  farms, 
and  thus  provide  fruit  and  vegetables  for  the  day.  Possibly  we 
might  even  get  bread  in  the  country, — we  would  be  quite  willing  to 
collect  it,  thus  leaving  nothing  but  meat  to  pay  for,  and  we  would 
have  money  for  that,  having  no  rent  to  pay.  As  for  furniture,  our 
own  muslin  curtains  from  home,  a  number  of  cots  which  could  be 
either  begged,  borrowed,  or  rented.  Campstools,  or  chairs,  tables 
provided  by  supporting  a  few  boards  on  horses,  and  a  covering  of 
white  oil-cloth  would  save  the  washing  of  table-linen.  Then  with 
a  few  nick-nacks,  of  which  we  would  all  bring  some,  we  would  be 
quite  home-like  and  comfortable.  After  dinner,  which  would  be 
served  at  noon,  a  nap  for  the  children  and  all  who  desired  rest  ; 
some  games  before  supper,  prayers,  and  an  early  bed  for  all.  If 
our  good  people  will  see  the  necessity  of  this  charity,  how  easy  it 
will  be  to  do  not  only  all  that  I  have  named,  but  far  more!  If  non- 
Catholics  can  do  so  much,  why  cannot  our  good  women  do  more 
for  the  love  of  God!  I  see  nothing  but  satisfaction  in  it  all  the 
way  through. 

We  did  not  open  this  little  summer  home,  for  the  reason  that 
our  Rev.  Director,  who  had  been  listening  to  the  whole  plan  at  the 
time,  said  nothing,  until  he  saw  there  might  be  too  much  of  a  strain 
on  the  inmates  who  had  been  working  in  the  city  house  steadily 
for  three  years  with  little  or  no  rest.  He,  in  his  kind  and  gentle 
way,  said:  “  You  are  going  to  make  yourselves  ill/’  and  so  the 
plan  was  given  up  for  the  time  being,  but  we  may  try  again. 

Referring  again  to  the  work  of  the  nursery,  it  may  be  that  I 
have  not  made  some  parts  of  it  as  clear  as  you  might  wish. 


44  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

The  little  ones  after  being  inspected  in  the  morning  on  their  en¬ 
tering  the  nursery,  are  taken  upstairs,  their  clothes  changed,  faces 
and  hands  washed,  and  heads  combed.  Children  under  three  years 
of  age  are  cared  for  by  their  nurses,  and  those  for  the  kinder¬ 
garten  are  cared  for  in  the  class-room,  and  taught  until  1 1.30,  when 
they  all  go  to  their  little  tables,  and  enjoy  their  lunch  which  is  served 
at  that  hour.  At  1 . 30  they  come  together  again,  and  are  entertained 
until  3.30,  when  the  larger  children  return  from  the  parochial 
school;  and  in  union  with  the  rest  of  our  little  household,  collect  in 
the  school-room,  where  there  is  a  general  wash  for  all  the  tots.  Then 
a  hot  dinner  of  stew,  or  broth,  and  bread.  After  a  little  romp  in 
the  play-ground,  amid  flowers  which  they  actually  permit  to  grow 
without  picking  or  destroying  them,  they  return  to  the  school-room 
for  the  Rosary,  and  clamor  for  the  beads  which  we  try  to  supply 
them  with.  While  this  is  going  on  they  gradually  disappear  with 
their  mothers  to  their  respective  abodes. 

Thus  one  day's  work  is  done,  and  we  make  ready  for  the  next; 
and  each  little  tot  receives  as  hearty  a  welcome  day  by  day,  and  as 
hearty  a  blessing  when  they  depart,  as  it  is  possible  to  give  one  of 
our  own  flesh  and  blood. 

I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  kind  attention  and  patience  in 
listening  to  me  thus  far,  and  can  say  that  “  what  is  learned  in  the 
cradle  lasts  until  the  grave.”  Delightful  task  to  rear  the  tender 
thought,  to  teach  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot,  to  pour  the  fresh 
instruction  o’er  the  mind,  to  breathe  the  enlivening  spirit,  and  to 
fix  the  generous  purpose  in  the  glowing  breast. 

I  will  now  leave  you,  trusting  you  will  not  forget  the  little  day 
nurseries,  which  should  be  as  “  little  stars  ”  all  over  the  diocese, 
as  our  late  friend,  Father  Mitchell,  has  said  so  often,  and  “  as  ye 
have  done  it  unto  the  least  of  these.  My  little  ones,  you  have  done 
it  unto  Me.” 


FIFTH  PAPER. 


INFANT  ASYLUMS.— THEIR  AIM  AND  ACHIEVEMENTS. 

By  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Cronyn,* 

Of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

At  this  period  of  the  world’s  history  it  seems  strange  to  us  that  in 
Christian  communities  the  necessity  of  maintaining  infant  asylums 
should  ever  have  been,  or  should  still  be,  questioned.  To  be  quite 
accurate,  perhaps,  one  should  write  “foundling”  rather  than 
“  infant  ”  asylums,  when  having  in  mind  the  particular  sort  of 
refuge  whose  value  to  society  has  been  so  much  disputed. 

In  our  country  and  day  infant  asylums  give  shelter  not  only  to 
the  foundling,  but  also  to  children  (under  seven  years  of  age) 
taken  by  authority  from  depraved  parents  and  environment,  and 
to  the  orphans  of  honest  fathers  and  mothers  who  have  no  kins¬ 
folk  able  or  willing  to  give  them  a  home.  Besides  these  there  is 
the  “  half-orphan,”  whose  father  or  mother,  as  the  case  may  be, 
is  obliged  to  board  the  child  with  the  Sisters  in  order  to  continue 
bread-winning.  These  are  the  classes  of  little  ones  cared  for  by 
the  infant  asylum,  with  whose  work  I  am  most  familiar, — that  under 
the  management  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Buffalo.  There  is, 
moreover,  in  the  same  institution  a  maternity  hospital,  doing  its 
less-known  but  ever-blessed  work  of  preservation  and  reformation 

*  On  account  of  the  death  of  her  father,  Miss  Cronyn  was  unable  to  attend 
the  Conference  in  person,  but  she  sent  her  paper,  and  it  was  read  by  her 
friend  and  co-worker,  Miss  Mary  E.  Gibbon,  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

45 


46  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

with  that  quiet  and  persistent  zeal  which  characterizes  the  labors- 
of  our  religious  communities. 

This  asylum,  built  on  property  given  by  Louis  Le  Conteulx  de 
Caumont,  was  opened  in  1855  with  five  or  six  children  and  three 
Sisters  in  charge.  Last  June  the  household  numbered  120  chil¬ 
dren,  9  Sisters,  9  nurses,  and  50  women  in  the  maternity  depart¬ 
ment.  About  100  children  are  born  in  the  institution  annually, 
and  about  15  adopted,  a  Catholic  lady  being  employed  by  Erie 
County  to  place  the  little  ones  in  good  homes.  The  majority  of 
unmarried  mothers  being  poor,  remain  with  their  children  while 
these  need  their  care.  When  they  go  out  to  work,  they  pay  for 
the  maintenance  of  their  little  ones.  The  total  number  of  chil¬ 
dren  received  last  year  was  336,  of  whom  160  were  sent  by  the  au¬ 
thorities,  60  by  relatives,  and  44  partly  by  friends.  The  house  is 
not  large  enough  to  receive  all  who  apply,  “and  small  children,” 
said  the  Sister,  who  knows  all  about  it,  “  require  a  great  deal  of 
room.”  The  “  Holy  Innocents  Society,  ”  an  association  of  ladies 
who  sew  and  provide  clothing  for  the  patients,  older  and  younger, 
is  of  material  help  to  the  Sisters. 

The  divisions  indicated  exist,  I  believe,  in  all  our  infant  asy¬ 
lums  in  this  country  ;  and  with  the  difference  of  the  number  to  be 
cared  for,  to  describe  one  is  to  describe  them  all. 

In  that  they  receive  foundlings  and  afford  a  refuge  to  unfortunate 
mothers  who  seek  to  hide  the  consequences  of  wrong-doing,  all 
our  infant  asylums,  too,  are  open  to  the  objections  of  those  whose 
opposition  has  been  directed  against  establishments  intended  ex¬ 
clusively  for  abandoned  children — the  “  enfants  trouves ,”  in  whose 
behalf  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  performed  such  wonders  of  charity. 

Forty  years  ago  the  subject  of  child-murder,  in  its  various  de¬ 
grees  and  aspects,  came  very  prominently  before  the  English  pub¬ 
lic,  and  was  exhaustively  discussed  in  medical  and  legal  journals,, 
and  in  periodicals  which,  like  the  Dublin  Review,  represented  at 
once  the  sternest  morality  and  most  considerate  charity. 

Among  the  expressions  of  competent  opinion  called  forth  at  that 


REPORT  OP  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


47 


time  by  the  increasing  prevalence  of  infanticide — a  crime  growing 
so  frequent  that  the  Examiner  said  England  would  soon  “rival 
the  Chinese  people  in  callousness  to  infant  life  ” — was  an  essay 
entitled  “  Child-Murder  in  its  Sanitary  and  Social  Bearings,”  by  Dr. 
William  Burke  Ryan.  To  be  sure,  that  was  forty  years  ago  ;  and 
we  have  trustworthy  authority  for  the  statement  that  “  within  the 
last  decade  or  two  there  has  been  a  wonderful  change  regarding 
the  value  put  on  the  life  of  children.” 

Admitting  this,  what  still  remains  to  be  feared  and  remedied  in 
relation  to  our  care  of  infant  life  is  more  than  enough  to  make 
Dr.  Burke  Ryan’s  words  no  less  instructive  and  urgent  for  us  than 
they  were  for  the  previous  generation. 

He  touches  extensively  upon  the  value  of  child-life  in  ancient 
times  and  in  non-Christian  countries  in  our  own  century.  In 
Phoenicia  and  Egypt,  children,  by  the  thousand,  were  sacrificed 
to  their  false  deities.  Grecian  civilization,  betimes  so  much  ad¬ 
mired  and  regretted  by  our  neo-pagans  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
disgraced  itself  by  the  murder  of  children,  either  in  honor  of  the 
gods,  or  to  be  rid  of  superfluous  daughters  or  weakly  infants  of 
either  sex. 

Even  Plato  and  Aristotle,  says  Dr.  Ryan,  “lend  their  counte¬ 
nance  and  counsel  to  the  exposure  of  children  and  to  the  procuring 
of  abortion,  for  reasons  of  state,  wicked  as  they  were  short-sighted. 
Thebes  only,  of  all  the  Grecian  States,  held  infanticide  in  detesta¬ 
tion,  and  visited  its  practice  with  capital  punishment.  Among  the 
Jews  it  was  unknown  until  they  became  contaminated  by  associa¬ 
tion  with  neighboring  idolatrous  nations. 

Dr.  Ryan  infers  that  it  was  unknown  because  “  there  was  no 
special  punishment  awarded  to  it  in  the  laws  of  Moses,  of  whose 
system  the  purest  morality  was  the  principal  object.”  Here  it 
may  occur  to  us  that  a  similar  reason  accounts  for  the  rarely-heard 
denunciations  of  this  crime  from  Catholic  pulpits.  It  has  been 
comparatively  unknown  among  Catholic  peoples,  most  especially 
among  the  Irish;  and  where,  in  Catholic  countries  of  continental 


48  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

Europe,  poverty,  shame,  and  other  miseries  have  been  strong 
temptations  to  its  commission,  for  many  centuries  the  Foundling 
Hospital  has  existed,  rescuing  many  innocent  creatures  who  would 
otherwise  have  perished.  Pagan  and  Christian  authorities,  says 
Lecky,  are  united  in  speaking  of  infanticide  as  the  crying  vice  of 
the  Roman  Empire. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  tell  an  audience  like  this  of  the  fate 
which  awaited  a  shocking  proportion  of  female  infants  in  Hindu¬ 
stan  and  China.  Catholic  missionaries  and  English  and  French 
travellers  have  enlightened  the  world  upon  this  subject.  Shame 
consequent  upon  not  being  able  to  portion  daughters  prompted 
the  murder  of  twenty  thousand  of  them  annually  in  Hindustan. 
So  quotes  the  Review.  The  Jesuit  Fathers  were  said  to  have  bap¬ 
tized  three  thousand  abandoned  children  yearly  in  Pekin  alone; 
and  the  Abbe  Bergier  writes  that  it  was  thought  that  thirty  thou¬ 
sand  perished  every  year.  The  progress  of  Christianity  and 
establishment  of  asylums,  and,  in  the  last  century,  the  action  of  the 
English  government  in  India,  have  greatly  lessened,  in  most  places 
abolished,  these  horrors. 

The  first  foundling  hospital  of  which  we  have  any  positive  rec¬ 
ord  was  established  in  Milan  in  the  eighth  century.  In  the 
thirteenth  century  Pope  Innocent  III.  founded  the  asylum  for 
abandoned  infants  attached  to  the  Hospital  of  Santo  Spirito  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tiber  ;  and  at  divers  times  and  places,  as  the  need 
was  pressing,  some  form  of  refuge  was  offered,  some  means  de¬ 
vised  to  succor  the  outcast  innocents.  To  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  however,  and  the  influence  of  St.  Vincent  de 
Paul,  we  most  commonly  attribute  the  organization  of  foundling 
asylums  as  we  know  them  to-day.  Infanticide  was  alarmingly  prev¬ 
alent  in  Paris  at  that  time,  while  children,  whom  their  unhappy 
mothers  either  feared  to  destroy,  or  shrank  from  killing,  were  ex¬ 
posed  at  the  church-door  or  in  public  places,  and  taken  thence  by 
order  of  the  police  to  the  house  of  a  widow,  who  was  charged  to 
care  for  them. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


49 


Alms  were  not  abundant,  and  the  children  were  many.  The 
majority  died  of  starvation,  and  without  baptism.  St.  Vincent 
came  to  their  rescue,  as  he  had  to  the  galley  slave  and  to  the 
wretched  of  every  description. 

The  story  of  his  work  for  the  foundlings,  his  influence  in  enlist¬ 
ing  the  co-operation  of  noble  women,  and  in  legislative  enactments, 
is  too  familiar  to  be  dwelt  upon  here. 

Dr.  Ryan  insists  that  foundling  hospitals  properly  conducted 
tend  to  check  infanticide  ;  and  adds  that,  even  granting  one  of 
the  arguments  used  by  their  opponents  to  be  true — which  he  by  no 
means  admits, — namely,  that  they  encourage  greater  immorality, 
this  is  trivial  in  comparison  to  systematic  murder. 

The  large  number  of  deaths  occurring  in  infant  asylums  has  also 
been  made  an  objection  by  persons  who  forget  that  the  mortality 
of  such  institutions  cannot  in  justice  be  compared  with  that  of  the 
general  community.  For  the  most  part  the  offspring  of  ill- 
nourished,  or  vicious,  or  diseased  parents — sometimes  the  victims 
of  attempted  pre-natal  murder, — these  poor  babies  have  little  or 
nothing  of  the  resisting  power  which  is  a  birthright  of  children 
who  come  into  the  world  under  wholesome  conditions. 

Abuses  no  doubt  have  existed,  and  do  exist ;  and  it  is  hard  to 
contemplate  the  little  unfortunates  on  one  hand,  thrust  from  the 
arms  that  nature  intended  to  shelter  them,  and  on  the  other,  al¬ 
lowed  to  die  from  neglect  by  those  who  pretend  to  rescue  them. 
Recent  investigations  into  the  affairs  of  several  foundling  hospitals 
in  Southern  Italy  reveal  a  mortality  of  over  ninety  per  cent.,  and 
in  one  important  instance,  actually  of  one  hundred — besides  a 
general  condition  calculated  to  make  the  modern  sanitary 
scientist’s  blood  run  cold.  We  need  not,  however,  go  so  far  afield 
to  find  a  high  mortality,  or  numerous  defects  in  the  conduct  of  in¬ 
fant  hospitals,  as  the  last  report  of  the  Board  of  Charities  Com¬ 
mittee,  after  their  visit  to  Randall's  Island,  proves. 

The  Italian  institutions  mentioned,  as  well  as  Randall's  Island, 
.are  under  secular  management.  In  establishments  controlled  by 


50  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

our  religious  orders,  although  these  may  lack  full  equipment  and 
abundant  means  to  carry  on  their  work,  conditions  such  as  those 
described  in  the  reports  cited  are  happily  impossible. 

But  the  mortality  in  these  asylums  is  a  matter  of  only  secondary 
interest,  if,  to  quote  Dr.  Ryan  again,  as  may  be  argued,  “  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  foundling  hospitals  is  not  so  much  the  preservation  of  the 
lives  of  children  as  the  prevention  of  murder  :  the  former  object 
being  worthy  a  heathen  people  only,  the  latter  object,  that  which 
should  characterize  a  Christian  nation.” 

And  as  before  intimated,  whatever  progress  has  been  made 
within  the  last  twenty  years  towards  educating  the  public  mind  in 
due  regard  for  infant  life  and  a  disposition  to  give  it  every  protection, 
fear,  shame,  poverty,  avarice,  a  growing  materialism,  and  other 
foes,  still  conspire  against  the  innocents.  New  York,  Buffalo, 
and  all  the  large  cities  of  the  Union  have  their  yearly  quota  of 
foundlings,  sometimes  living,  sometimes  dead.  “  Infant  insur¬ 
ance  ”  companies  tempt  the  cupidity  of  unloving  parents,  and  un- 
namable  practices  deprive  the  unborn  of  life  and  baptism.  Ig¬ 
norance  of  the  first  Jaws  of  health,  tenement-house  life,  blows,  and 
starvation,  complete  in  other  cases  what  inherited  weakness  be¬ 
gins.  The  proceedings  of  the  International  Congress  for  the 
Protection  of  Infants — which  met  in  Florence  in  1896 — enlighten 
us  very  fully  as  to  the  physical  and  moral  evils  which  afflict  these 
“fortune’s  disinherited  ones,”  and  the  proposed  or  non-operative 
antidotes  to  the  poison  of  their  birth  and  environment.  The 
priest  can  tell  us  to  what  dangers  they  are  exposed.  The  physi¬ 
cian  knows  how  often  it  is  in  his  power  to  prevent  or  permit  the 
destruction  of  unborn  life.  And,  God  be  thanked!  many  and 
many  a  baptized  child  pleads  in  heaven  for  the  man  whose  faith, 
and  respect  for  life,  and  regard  for  the  duties  of  his  profession, 
saved  it  and  its  mother.  And  many  a  rehabilitated  woman 
blesses  the  counsel  which  rescued  her  from  despair  and  from  the 
commission  of  crime,  and  led  her  within  the  influence  of  our  asy¬ 
lums.  For  the  majority  they  are  the  only  refuge  of  child  and 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


51 


mother,  and  their  salvation.  And  not  only  of  the  illegitimate  and 
abandoned — of  those  to  whom  earth  has  given 

“ - first,  a  tarnished  name, 

For  heritage,  a  tainted  fame, 

And  cradled  them  in  want  and  shame,” 

— but  of  the  honest  mothers’  little  ones,  who  die  in  poverty,  but 
resigned,  knowing  their  childhood  and  innocence  protected. 

Clearly  the  need  of  infant  asylums  exists  to-day  as  it  did  forty 
or  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  or  six  centuries  ago.  And  our 
duty  is  obvious.  The  same  principles  actuate  Christian  charity 
whenever  and  wherever  it  is  found — as  the  non-Catholic  Lecky 
says,  treating  this  subject  in  his  History  of  European  Morals,  and 
adding:  “Whatever  mistakes  may  have  been  made,  the  entire 
movement  I  have  traced  displays  an  anxiety  not  only  for  the  life, 
but  also  for  the  moral  well-being,  of  the  castaways  of  society, 
such  as  the  most  humane  nations  of  antiquity  had  never  reached. 
This  minute  and  scrupulous  cafe  for  human  life  and  human  virtue 
in  the  humblest  forms,  in  the  slave,  the  gladiator,  the  savage,  or 
the  infant,  was  indeed  wholly  foreign  to  the  genius  of  Paganism. 
It  was  produced  by  the  Christian  doctrine  of  the  inestimable  value 
of  each  immortal  soul. 


SIXTH  PAPER. 


CARE  OF  DESTITUTE  AND  DELINQUENT  CHILDREN. 

By  Mr.  George  B.  Robinson, 

Of  New  York ,  N.  V. 

The  “  care  of  destitute  and  delinquent  children”  appeals  to  the 
sympathy  and  judgment  of  all  Christian  people. 

The  Church  has  always  given  its  motherly  solicitude  to  the  poor 
and  unfortunate,  and  with  its  practical  equipment  and  the  de¬ 
votion  of  its  religious  and  teaching  orders,  has  been  ever  suc¬ 
cessful  in  the  work  of  child-saving  and  reformation. 

Although  this  duty  of  providing  for  the  dependent  and  erring 
has  been  recognized  by  all  civilized  communities,  in  our  own 
country  there  has  been  much  legislation,  in  recent  years,  tending 
to  improve  their  conditions.  “  State  Boards  of  Charity”  have 
been  established,  having  supervision  of  public  and  private  chari¬ 
ties  ;  co-operation  has  been  sought  and  encouraged  where,  before, 
suspicion  and  distrust  existed. 

In  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  the  constitution  declares, 
“  Beneficent  provision  for  the  poor,  the  unfortunate,  and  the  or¬ 
phan,  being  one  of  the  first  duties  of  a  civilized  and  Christian 
State  ....  the  General  Assembly  shall  appoint  and  define  the 
duties  of  a  Board  of  Public  Charities,”  etc.,  etc. 

This  is  the  only  State  which  recognizes  this  duty  in  its  Constitu¬ 
tion.  It  is  not  too  much  to  expect  that  many  of  the  States  will  ac¬ 
cept  this  principle  in  clear  terms  before  many  years  have  passed. 

52 


report  of  conference  on  catholic  charities. 


53 


The  question  arises,  how  can  the  State  best  provide  for  the  care 
of  these  classes  ? 

Of  the  various  methods  adopted,  that  practised  by  New  York 
seems  best  adapted  to  accomplish  the  object. 

State  Institutions  are  provided  for  the  insane  and  other  adult 
dependents,  but  the  destitute  and  delinquent  children  are  cared 
for  principally  in  private  institutions  through  “  State  ”  aid  or  “  per 
capita”  allowance  for  their  support,  from  public  funds. 

How  do  children  become  destitute  ? 

Through  sickness,  and  death  of  one  or  both  parents;  through 
loss  of  work,  improvidence,  or  intemperance  of  parents. 

This  last  ranks  first  as  the  enemy  of  childhood,  causes  poverty, 
and  brings  about  evil  associations. 

Where  shall  the  line  be  drawn  between  the  destitute  (depen¬ 
dent)  and  the  delinquent? 

The  same  causes  produce  both. 

Neglect  of  parents,  environment,  bad  associates,  cause  the  des¬ 
titute  to  become  delinquent. 

The  criminal  code  of  New  York  does  not  qualify  delinquency. 
Children  found  begging,  vagrant,  disorderly,  ungovernable,  in  bad 
company  or  arrested  for  petit  larceny,  are  committed  to  institutions; 
they  are  classed  as  delinquents,  but  only  a  small  percentage  of  them 
differ  in  any  way  from  the  average  destitute  child. 

If  parents  possessing  fair  intelligence  and  a  fair  income  are  una¬ 
ble  to  provide  better  means  of  education  and  training  than  are 
given  their  children  in  most  cases,  what  can  we  expect  from  the 
effects  of  bad  environment  and  bad  education  upon  children  of  the 
very  poor? 

It  appears,  from  the  report  of  the  “  State  Board  of  Charities,” 
that  on  the  30th  of  September,  1896,  there  were  26,808  dependent 
children  and  5,297  delinquents  in  the  institutions  and  asylums  of 
the  State  of  New  York. 

This  seems  to  be  a  large  number;  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  if 
some  of  them  should  be  returned  to  their  families  or  placed  in. 


54  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

homes  more  promptly,  there  are  many  others  who  need  the  care 
and  protection  of  the  institutions. 

The  popular  but  erroneous  opinion  exists,  that  these  children 
can  all  be  placed  in  homes. 

The  greater  number  of  them  are  temporarily  committed  as  desti¬ 
tute  to  tide  over  misfortunes  of  parents. 

Poverty  will  not  justify  the  permanent  disintegration  of  the  family. 

Probably  75  per  cent,  can  properly  be  returned  to  their  parents  or 
relatives  within  a  reasonable  time. 

The  institution  should  have  for  its  object  the  development  of 
the  child,  physically,  mentally,  and  morally;  it  is  to  be  his  temporary 
home,  and  should  be  a  home  as  far  as  possible;  it  should  be  a  val¬ 
uable  portion  of  the  State’s  educational  equipment,  providing  not 
only  a  temporary  home,  but  teaching  industries,  and  stimulating  to 
the  exercise  of  the  virtues  of  good  citizenship. 

Without  religion  there  can  be  no  success  in  efforts  to  educate 
and  reform  the  child. 

Religious  instruction ,  therefore,  is  to  be  imparted  daily,  and  at 
least  monthly  the  children  should  receive  the  sacraments. 

Discipline  should  be  secured  by  gentle  measures  as  far  as  possible; 
kindness  and  reason  generally  will  control. 

There  are  cases  where  punishment  is  necessary.  Demerit  marks 
and  deprival  of  play  are  sufficient  in  some  cases;  in  others  in¬ 
crease  of  task,  or  removal  from  companionship  of  comrades. 

If  the  child  proves  to  be  incorrigible,  he  should  be  removed  from 
the  institution.  School  should  continue  through  the  year.  The 
hours  spent  in  class  may  be  reduced  in  summer. 

“Idleness  is  the  parent  of  every  vice.”  It  has  been  said  that 
“  no  one  can  lead  a  truly  moral  life  and  be  idle.” 

Industrial  training,  therefore,  is  the  great  aid  in  this  work  of  ed¬ 
ucation  and  reform.  Keep  the  mind  occupied  through  the  hands. 

The  child’s  interest  being  paramount,  everything  useful  should  be 
taught,  within  the  means  of  the  institution. 

To  illustrate.  In  the  New  York  Catholic  Protectory  boys  are  em- 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


55 


ployed  at  printing,  electrotyping,  shoemaking,  telegraphy,  elec¬ 
tric  lighting,  photography,  plumbing,  steam  fitting,  harness  mak¬ 
ing,  stocking  knitting,  chair  caning,  tailoring,  typewriting,  wood¬ 
carving,  painting,  paper  box  making,  baking,  cleaning,  farming, 
gardening,  and  mason  work.  They  are  employed  also  in  the  engine 
room,  machine  shop,  carpenter  shop,  and  blacksmith  shop.  120 
boys  are  in  the  band,  and  150  boys  are  in  the  violin  class. 

I  would  add  the  teaching  of  horticulture  and  the  care  of  animals. 

The  girls  are  taught  sewing,  typewriting,  dressmaking,  glove¬ 
making,  cooking,  laundry  work,  and  domestic  work. 

It  would  not  be  amiss  to  teach  them  horticulture  also. 

It  is  well  to  change  the  children  from  one  occupation  to  another, 
except  when  a  “  trade  ”  is  being  taught. 

Early  rising  is  required,  say  at  five  or  six  o’clock. 

Retiring  early,  they  will  have  nine  to  ten  hours  of  sleep. 

Recreation  and  amusements  should  not  be  neglected;  baseball 
and  games  should  be  provided, — a  gymnasium  for  stormy  and  cold 
weather;  books  and  magazines,  carefully  selected  to  interest  chil¬ 
dren.  Amusements  should  be  permitted  on  Sunday,  also,  but  not 
to  the  extent  of  disturbing  others. 

Food  should  be  of  good  materials,  well  cooked,  not  extravagant, 
but  abundant. 

Fruits  and  vegetables  should  be  plentifully  supplied. 

Clothing  should  be  comfortable,  neat,  and  tasteful,  such  as  chil¬ 
dren  of  a  respectable  laborer  would  wear.  A  change  should  be 
made  for  holidays. 

No  uniform  should  be  worn  except  for  military  drill. 

This  drill  should  be  extended  to  all  as  most  helpful  in  enforcing 
discipline  and  developing  the  child. 

Much  has  been  said  of  the  unsatisfactory  conditions  when  “  des¬ 
titute  ”  and  delinquent  children  are  cared  for  in  the  same  institution. 

There  should  be  a  careful  classification,  according  to  character¬ 
istics  and  habits;  but  the  name  “  delinquent  ”  does  not  furnish  the 
ground  of  separation. 


56 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


Each  case  must  be  studied  by  itself. 

There  should  be  constant  supervision  by  night  as  well  by  day. 

The  difficulties  in  training  and  educating  these  “  classes  "  are  no- 
greater  than  those  encountered  with  other  children. 

If  there  is  embarrassment — occasionally  it  arises  from  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  family  association, — it  is  a  question  if  our  institutions  are 
not  too  considerate  of  the  parents  and  relatives  who  have  neglect¬ 
ed  their  children,  and  who  sometimes  exercise  bad  influence  over 
them  again  when  they  leave  the  institution. 

Forfeiture  of  parental  rights  is  just  and  proper  in  many  cases. 

I  have  very  imperfectly  reviewed  the  subject  referred  to  me. 

As  “  Catholics/’  we  are  quite  proud  of  our  institutions. 

If  they  accomplish  much  good,  it  is  because  of  the  great  advant¬ 
age  we  have  over  the  “  State  ”  and  non-Catholic  charities,  in  our 
teachers,  who  for  the  love  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  give 
their  lives  to  the  work. 

To  the  “  Christian  Brothers/’  to  the  “Sisters  of  Charity,  of 
Mercy,  of  St.  Francis  and  of  St.  Dominic/’  devoted  men  and  wom¬ 
en,  who  reach  down  to  the  poor  and  lowly,  and  rescue  little  ones 
from  danger  and  lead  them  to  a  higher  and  better  life,  be  praise 
and  honor % 


SEVENTH  PAPER. 


OUR  PLACING-OUT  SYSTEM.— NEED  OF 
CO-OPERATION  AND  SUPERVISION. 

By  Mr.  James  E.  Dougherty, 

Of  New  York,  N.  Y. 

We  who  are  interested  in  charities,  but  especially  in  those  per¬ 
taining  to  children,  have  noticed,  with  regret,  the  rapid  increase 
in  the  number  of  institutions  to  care  for  children.  For,  while  we 
admit  the  necessity  for  their  existence,  and  admire  the  unselfish 
devotion  of  the  religious  in  charge  who  devote  their  lives  to  the 
work  and  give  evidence  of  that  devotion  in  the  results  accomplished, 
we  must,  nevertheless,  upon  reflection,  deplore  the  indifference  of 
so  many  parents  to  the  proper  care  of  their  children,  and  their 
unwillingness  to  do  their  duty  to  them,  thus  throwing  the  burden 
upon  others  ;  and  efforts  should  unceasingly  be  made  to  cultivate 
a  better  spirit  among  them. 

However,  the  condition  exists,  and  must  be  met.  If  the  chil¬ 
dren  are  neglected  by  their  parents  or  relatives,  or  are  deprived  of 
them  by  death  or  other  causes,  charity  prompts  others  to  take 
up  the  load;  hence  the  necessity  for  the  institution. 

No  argument  is  necessary  to  prove  that  the  home,  no  matter 
how  humble,  if  it  be  at  all  worthy  of  the  name,  is  superior  to  any 
institution;  and  in  those  cases  where  the  death  or  misfortune  of 
the  parents  throws  the  care  of  the  children  upon  others,  the  ad¬ 
vantage  is  on  the  side  of  the  child  who  is  placed  with  a  family,  if 
a  home  in  a  proper  family  can  be  secured  for  him. 


58  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

No  institution  life  can  at  all  compare  with  proper  home  train¬ 
ing.  I  am  well  aware  of  the  difficulties — perhaps  impossibility — 
to  secure  homes  in  families  for  all  who  need  them.  But  does  that 
difficulty  justify  our  individual  attitude  on  this  subject  ?  Might 
we  not  all  ask  ourselves  the  question:  “  Are  we  not  indifferent 
and  selfish  in  these  matters?”  Practically,  most  of  us  think  it 
none  of  our  business,  and  do  not  give  the  slightest  aid  in  the 
matter,  saying  in  our  attitude,  if  not  in  our  words:  “Am  I  my 
brother’s  keeper  ?  ”  A  little  unselfish  thought  devoted  to  this 
subject  will  suggest  the  possibility  of  securing,  without  much 
effort  on  the  part  of  anyone  of  us,  many  homes  in  good  families 
for  dependent  children.  Pn  this  connection,  I  recall  the  practice 
which  existed  in  a  very  large  parish  in  Philadelphia,  years  ago. 
The  pastor — who  was  truly  the  father  of  his  flock— -selected 
homes  among  his  parishioners  for  the  children  whom  God  deprived 
of  their  parents  and  natural  protectors.  I  know  one  family  in 
that  parish  that  in  the  course  of  time  brought  up  four  orphans 
successively,  thereby  bringing  a  blessing  upon  themselves  and 
upon  the  children  so  brought  up.  They  all  turned  out  well.  One 
became  a  Sister  of  Charity,  and  died  a  victim  of  yellow  fever  in 
New  Orleans,  her  mission  having  called  her  there  as  a  nurse  in  an 
hospital. 

I  will  not  say,  however,  that  this  method  is  practicable  for  all 
who  are  now  thrown  upon  society  to  care  for.  It  is  possible, 
though,  to  do  more  in  this  direction  than  is  done,  and  some 
thought  should  be  given  to  it. 

There  are  some  children — unfortunately  too  many, — whose 
home  surroundings,  especially  in  the  congested  districts  of  our 
big  cities,  are  bad  ;  and  it  would  be  a  miracle  if  such  conditions 
produced  good  or  moral  citizens.  From  this  class  is  drafted  a 
very  large  number  of  the  children  now  cared  for,  and  for  such 
•the  institution  is  a  necessity,  as  well  as  a  great  boon  to  society. 
For,  <(  As  the  twig  is  bent  the  tree  is  inclined  and  strict  dis¬ 
cipline  and  great  care  in  moral  training  are  found  to  be  necessary 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  59 

to  eradicate  the  seeds  of  villainy  from  many  of  those  children,  and 
not  always  with  success  either. 

Recognizing  the  fact  that  sufficient  homes  are  not  within  reach 
at  once  to  provide  for  even  the  worthy  and  good  children  de¬ 
prived  of  parents  and  homes,  and  adding  to  this  the  fact  that  so 
many  unfortunate  parents  neglect  or  cruelly  abandon  their  chil¬ 
dren,  we  must  all  hail  with  gratitude  to  God  and  to  those  whom 
He  inspires  to  care  for  it,  the  advent  of  the  well-regulated 
institution. 

The  vocation  that  calls  forth  men  and  women  to  devote  their 
lives  to  the  care  of  children  in  our  institutions  is  indeed  a  grand 
one,  and  must  be  very  dear  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Our  Lord, 
who  inspires  it:  “  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  for  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.” 

When  we  of  the  world  visit  any  of  these  institutions,  our  hearts 
go  out  in  sympathy  to  the  little  ones  we  see  gathered  together. 
We  think  of  our  own  little  ones  at  home,  and  if  we  have  any 
gratitude  in  our  hearts,  we  thank  God  for  the  favor  He  has  shown 
us  in  providing  our  little  ones  with  homes;  and  we  again  thank 
Him  for  the  substitutes  He  has  provided  for  the  parents  of  these 
others. 

The  one  prominent  thought  around  which  all  the  others  cluster 
is:  Home.  The  sympathy  for  the  little  inmates  was  first  aroused 
because  of  their  lacking  in  all  that  the  word  home  implies,  and 
the  institution  has  been  provided  to  afford  them  a  substitute  for 
it.  The  religious  in  charge  of  them  replace  the  natural  protec¬ 
tors — their  parents.  That  is  the  motive  that  prompts  the  care  of 
them,  and  the  inspiration  must  come  to  every  true  religious  in 
such  a  house,  that  he  or  she  must  try  to  do  the  parent’s  duty  to 
the  little  ones  under  them,  and,  doing  it,  they  know  they  will 
best  please  Almighty  God,  whom  they  are  serving. 

Naturally,  then,  their  thoughts  must  revert  at  times  to  their  own 
homes  ;  and  as  the  magnet  attracts  the  needle  to  the  pole,  so  does 
home  and  the  thoughts  of  it  attract  them  to  the  little  ones,  in  each 


60  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

of  whom  they  see  the  image  of  our  Saviour  ;  and  they  aim  to  fit 
them  to  ultimately — each  for  himself — develop  and  bring  a 
blessing  on  his  own  home. 

Life  in  the  institution  is  but  a  temporary  and  a  short  one  for  the 
child.  It  is,  as  it  were,  a  bridge  upon  which  he  treads  to  reach  his 
place  in  the  outer  world  in  the  home  he  is  destined  to  occupy,  where 
he  is  to  fulfil  his  duties  to  society  ;  and  if  he  be  true  to  God  and  to- 
the  training  he  has  received,  to  reflect  credit  upon  his  Alma  Mater. 

Here  crops  out  the  difficulty  of  the  institution  and  its  directors: 
how  to  properly  do  their  duty  to  their  little  charges  upon  send¬ 
ing  them  from  the  institution.  The  care  of  the  children  while  in 
the  institution  in  charge  of  religious  is  comparatively  easy  ;  but 
the  problem  to  be  solved  in  all  of  them  is  :  Where  to  find  suitable 
homes  for  the  inmates  upon  their  discharge,  when  for  them  the  real 
battle  of  life  is  to  begin. 

Some  people,  without  reflection,  perhaps,  or  lacking  a  knowledge 
of  our  motives,  charge  us  Catholics  with  filling  the  institutions,  and 
with  retaining  the  children  in  them  long  after  they  should  be 
placed  out,  because  of  the  revenue  received  from  the  State  for 
caring  for  them.  This  charge  is  unfounded  ;  for  unfortunately 
there  is  no  difficulty  to  gather  in  new  inmates  after  discharging  the 
old  ones  ;  but  the  responsibility  as  to  what  is  to  become  of  them 
after  they  go  out,  is  the  trying  difficulty,  and  at  times  causes  the 
retention  of  children  long  after  the  State  aid  for  them  has  ceased. 

Why  is  it  that  our  Catholic  families  afford  so  few  homes  ? 

It  is  not  hard  to  answer  that  question, — at  least  in  part.  Our 
Lord  told  us  that  the  poor  we  would  always  have  with  us,  and  a 
glance  at  the  congregations  of  most  of  our  churches,  especially  in 
the  big  cities,  will  show  that,  while  happy  and  contented,  they  are 
not  the  favored  ones  of  fortune. 

The  proportion  of  poor  to  rich  is  far  greater  with  us  than  with 
other  denominations,  which  results  in  fewer  homes  for  dependent 
children,  and  in  a  larger  proportion  of  children  becoming  dependent 
when  deprived  of  their  natural  care-takers. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


61 


Then,  again,  our  people  are  blessed  with  large  families,  which 
occupy  all  their  care  and  energy  to  provide  for,  without  additions 
from  outside  sources. 

In  the  country  districts  the  farmers,  as  a  class,  are  not  rich  ;  but 
no  matter  how  poor,  they  are  immeasurably  better  off  than  the 
poor  in- the  tenement  quarters  of  the  large  cities. 

They  practice  charity,  too,  to  a  greater  extent  than  we  of  the 
cities  imagine.  No  one — in  his  own  circle,  hamlet,  or  village — is 
allowed  to  suffer  from  neglect  as  in  our  large  cities,  where  families 
can  live  and  die  unknown  sometimes  to  their  next-door  neighbor. 
In  the  country  districts  the  people  know  one  another  ;  in  the 
cities,  they  do  not. 

But  even  residents  of  a  village  or  hamlet,  although  they  know, 
and,  if  needful,  help  one  another,  seldom  bestow  a  thought  on  the 
wants  of  the  big,^wide  world  outside  their  own  section.  However, 
in  many  cases  where  their  attention  has  been  called  to  it,  and  to 
the  dire  poverty  and  necessity  that  exists  in  some  quarters,  they 
have  been  quick  to  respond  to  the  generous  impulse  that  prompts 
us  all  when  under  the  influence  of  our  holy  religion  to  “  Love  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves.” 

This  is  shown  by  the  numerous  responses  from  the  country  to 
the  appeal  for  a  two-weeks*  vacation  for  the  city  children  who  ap¬ 
ply  for  the  benefit  of  the  Fresh  Air  Fund.  The  impression  pre¬ 
vailed  that  there  were  few  or  no  Catholic  homes  in  the  country 
where  the  conditions  permitted  these  children  to  be  taken,  but  an 
agreeable  surprise  awaited  all  who  were  interested  in  the  work. 
Just  as  soon  as  the  facts  were  made  known  directly  to  the  country 
people  by  those  in  whom  they  had  confidence  and  to  whom  they 
looked  for  guidance,  viz  :  their  local  pastors  (who  in  turn  had  been 
personally  apprised  of  the  field  for  good  they  could  thus  open  up), 
then  Catholic  homes  were  opened,  where  all  our  Catholic  children 
who  had  applied  were  received  and  entertained.  Would  not  this 
experience  strengthen  the  hope  that  similar  zeal,  activity,  and 
co-operation,  in  the  search  for  permanent  homes  for  the  out- 


62  REPORT  OP  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

put  from  our  institutions,  would  result  in  like  manner  success¬ 
fully? 

Let  us  face  the  reality,  and  ask  ourselves  if  our  failure  in  this 
direction  in  the  past  has  not  been  through  our  own  faults.  Do 
not  many  good  people  think  their  whole  duty  done,  and  even  look 
for  commendation  for  it,  if  they  have  parted  with  a  little  of  their 
earthly  substance,  while  they  refuse  to  make  the  slightest  personal 
sacrifice  to  aid  a  good  work? 

If  we  look  into  ourselves  we  will  find  that  with  most  of  us  it  is 
easier  to  criticise  than  to  work  for  a  cause,  and  we  even  think  we 
are  privileged  to  do  it  if  we  have  given  a  little  money.  That  holy 
and  zealous  worker  in  this  field  of  caring  for  dependent  children, 
Father  Baker,  of  St.  John’s  Protectory  at  West  Seneca,  Buffalo, 
told  the  writer  that  he  has  no  difficulty  to  find  Catholic  homes 
for  all  the  children  coming  under  his  care — and  he  never  refuses 
any  child  brought  to  him.  But  that  very  word  “  find  ”  implies  seek¬ 
ing.  The  homes  do  not  come  to  him.  He  has  to  seek  for  them. 
And  that  brings  us,  in  my  opinion,  to  the  root  of  the  whole  diffi¬ 
culty  in  this  question.  We  have  not,  in  the  past,  properly  sought 
for  these  homes.  If  we  have  not  met  with  unqualified  success  in 
our  first  efforts — or  in  nearby  sections — efforts  confined  perhaps 
altogether  to  correspondence— have  we  not  too  often  abandoned 
the  search,  and  resigned  ourselves  to  the  conclusion  that  such 
homes  could  not  be  found  ? 

Admit  for  a  moment  that  the  task  is  too  big  to  find  homes  at  once 
for  all  needing  them, — does  that  justify  us  in  doing  nothing  ? 

If  we  but  reflect  upon  the  value  of  a  soul,  and  consider  the  re¬ 
sult  accomplished  by  securing  even  one  home,  which,  through  its  in¬ 
fluence,  would  save  a  soul  that  might  otherwise  be  lost,  then  will 
our  task  of  placing  out  children  be  easier  of  accomplishment. 
For  reflection  will  bring  with  it  the  knowledge  that  effort  is  nec¬ 
essary,  and  that  if  we  start  out  with  the  proper  motives — trusting  in 
God,— He  will  surely  reward  these  efforts  and  supply  the  home.  The 
secret  of  success  in  all  such  undertakings  as  these,  is  for  each  one 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


63 


of  us  to  do  his  duty  in  his  own  sphere,  and  not  to  give  up  the 
struggle  because  of  the  failure  of  others  to  do  their  duty. 

In  discussing  this  subject,  let  us  not  forget  the  difficulty  that  be¬ 
sets  the  religious  in  charge  of  institutions  in  this  search  for  homes 
for  the  placing  out  of  children.  They  devote  their  lives  unselfishly 
to  their  work,  with  no  thought  of  this  world’s  goods  or  of  adequate 
compensation  to  themselves.  They  obey  a  call  from  God.  It  is 
their  vocation,  and  in  His  own  good  time  He  will  reward  them. 

Withal  it  requires  the  closest  economy  to  manage  the  institutions. 
The  needs  are  so  great  and  pressing  on  every  side — and  the  labor¬ 
ers  in  the  vineyard  are  so  few,  that  attention  is  concentrated  on 
the  immediate  wants — the  care  of  the  institution  itself  and  its  in¬ 
mates,  and  there  is  but  little  means  at  hand  to  devote  to  the  very 
important  work  of  securing  homes  for  the  children.  Indeed,  it  is 
a  matter  of  surprise  to  the  casual  observer  that  we  manage  our  Cath¬ 
olic  institutions  so  economically,  and  show  such  grand  results  with 
so  little  expenditure.  Society  owes  a  very  heavy  debt  of  gratitude 
to  the  noble  band  of  religious  in  charge  of  our  institutions. 

To  properly  do  this  work  of  securing  homes  for  the  children,  the 
country  should  be  thoroughly  canvassed.  Correspondence  alone 
will  not  avail.  It  requires  the  personal  effort  of  those  interested 
in  the  child  ta  go  from  place  to  place  and  secure  the  home.  The 
religious  in  charge  of  the  institutions  have  the  interest  and  the 
zeal  for  this  work,  but  they  have  their  hands  full  at  home,  i.  e .,  at 
the  institution,  and  cannot  be  spared  for  this  country-canvassing. 
There  are  too  few  of  them,  anyway.  Is  there  not  some  way  in 
which  this  difficulty  can  be  met,  and  homes  secured  for  our  chil¬ 
dren?  We  believe  there  is;  for  there  are  many  people  who,  although 
not  active  workers  in  the  field  of  charity,  would  lend  a  willing 
and  a  helpful  hand  to  the  dependent  children,  if  a  way  to  do  it  be 
only  pointed  out.  This  subject  of  the  care  of  dependent  children 
has  aroused  wide-spread  interest,  as  could  be  seen  at  the  25th  Na¬ 
tional  Conference  of  Charities  held  in  New  York  City  in  May  last. 
Its  section  meetings  where  this  subject  was  discussed  were  invar- 


<64  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

iably  crowded,  while  the  other  section  meetings  at  times  attracted 
very  few.  We  cannot  believe  that  this  interest  in  children  is  con¬ 
fined  to  those  who  attended  that  convention.  Affection  for  chil¬ 
dren,  especially  for  such  as  are  weak  and  dependent,  is  born  in 
us  all,  and  continues  with  us  to  the  end. 

Now,  then,  in  what  way  can  we  aid  the  active  workers  in  this 
field  of  charity? 

The  history  of  the  Children’s  Aid  Society,  and  of  their  great  suc¬ 
cess  in  placing  our  children,  will  help  us  to  answer  that  question. 
They  avail  themselves  of  the  power  of  organization  and  co-oper¬ 
ation.  They  have,  united  to  themselves  most  of  the  non-Catholic 
elements  inteiested  in  such  a  work,  and  the  result  has  been,  when 
seeking  for  homes,  no  matter  how  far  distant  from  their  centre  of 
operations,  they  or  their  agents  were  not  strangers,  and  their  suc¬ 
cess  was  assured  almost  from  the  outset.  Now  we  have  in  our 
Church  the  most  perfect  organization  known.  Every  section  has 
its  parish,  and  we  Catholics  know  how  parishes  are  bound  togeth¬ 
er  in  dioceses — the  structure  rising  until  it  culminates  in  a  glorious 
apex  here  on  earth  with  our  Holy  Father  the  Pope.  There  is  no 
need  of  enlarging  on  this  branch  of  the  subject.  It  suffices  to  al¬ 
lude  to  it  to  make  us  all  realize  that  we  have  the  organization.  It 
rests  with  us  to  avail  ourselves  of  it.  Now,  as  we  have  before 
shown  when  speaking  of  our  success  in  the  matter  of  placing  out 
children  for  the  Fresh  Air  Fund,  the  channel  through  which  the  par- 
.  ish  is  reached  is  its  pastor.  But  in  many  cases  the  pastors  are 
overloaded,  and  in  any  event  we  have  no  right  to  shift  a  burden 
from  our  shoulders  and  ask  them  to  take  it.  If  we  map  out  a  pro¬ 
gramme  whereby  we  will  do  our  share,  and  only  ask  from  them  their 
influence  to  sustain  us  in  what  they  approve  as  right,  we  need 
have  no  fears  of  their  failing  us.  This  leads  us  directly  up  to  the 
union  of  parishes  through  lay  representatives  appointed  by  each 
pastor,  and,  of  course,  in  touch  with  them— the  united  Catholic  char¬ 
ities  of  which  Father  Kinkead  gave  some  information  yesterday. 

When  this  organization  is  effected — and,  thank  God!  there  is 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  05 

evidence  it  will  be  done  soon,  — the  parish  delegate  will  be  a  channel 
through  which  the  homes  can  be  procured.  He  will  be  on  the 
i(  qui  vive  ”  to  secure  homes,  bringing  the  subject  to  the  notice  of 
all  in  his  locality — getting  his  pastor  to  announce  the  matter  oc¬ 
casionally,  and  when  he  ascertains  where  a  home  or  homes  can  be 
secured,  notifies  at  once  the  proper  official  in  the  new  organiza¬ 
tion.  We  will  then  realize  the  strength  and  advantage  of  union 
and  co-operation.  While  for  many  of  the  children  homes  in  the 
country  are  most  desirable,  we  are  by  no  means  confined  to  them. 
A  good  home  anywhere,  in  the  city  as  well  as  in  the  country,  will 
relieve  the  institution  to  that  extent,  and  the  action  of  taking  the 
child  bring  a  blessing  upon  child  and  adopted  parent. 

But  there  is  more  to  be  done  than  merely  securing  a  home.  By 
means  of  the  same  organized  effort  (the  parish  representatives) 
the  children  so  placed  can  be  followed  into  their  new  homes,  and 
as  the  work  required  is  all  in  one’s  own  locality,  and  where  the 
member  is  acquainted,  the  task  is  not  a  very  onerous  one  to  see 
that  the  new  home  is  a  proper  one.  Unfortunately,  people  at  times 
are  found  who  take  the  little  ones  simply  for  the  work  to  be  got 
out  of  them,  and  with  no  intent  to  give  them  a  home  in  the  real 
sense  of  the  word.  Surely  it  would  be  a  labor  of  love,  carrying 
with  it  its  own  reward,  for  the  parish  representative  to  root  out  any 
such  evil  as  this,  have  those  heartless  people  punished,  and  secure 
for  the  child  a  proper  home. 

Again,  the  parish  representative — working  always  in  conjunc¬ 
tion  with  his  pastor — could  see  that  the  little  ones  attended  church 
and  school,  and  thus  help  them  at  the  critical  period  of  their  lives. 
I  have  already  taken  up  considerable  of  your  time,  but  the  cause 
is  a  noble  one,  and  no  matter  how  blunt  the  instrument  that  delves 
into  it,  some  good  will  come  from  it. 

I  again  urge  each  one  to  do  what  he  can  in  his  own  circle — re¬ 
membering,  as  I  before  said,  that  the  smallest  act  in  this  direc¬ 
tion  of  saving  the  child  is  pleasing  to  God.  Without  burdening 
ourselves  with  too  much  labor,  we  can  co-operate  in  a  systematic 


66  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

plan  which  can,  and  I  trust  will,  be  developed.  If  we  know  of  a 
home  where  a  child  can  be  placed,  communicate  the  faot  to  our 
parish  representative,  or  to  our  pastor;  and  although  it  is  not 
given  to  us  to  realize  on  earth  the  full  measure  of  the  good  accom¬ 
plished  by  working  for  God^s  honor  and  glory,  sufficient  will  be 
revealed  to  encourage  our  weak  human  nature.  The  combined  ef¬ 
fort  of  all  working  disinterestedly  on  these  lines  would  astonish 
the  world,  and  accomplish  results  of  untold  benefit  to  the  child, 
to  the  institution,  and  to  society  in  general,  thus  proving  an  incen¬ 
tive  to  us  to  keep  at  the  good  work,  and  finally  reap  the  reward 
that  Our  Lord  has  told  us  awaits  all  who  do  their  duty  to  the  end. 


DEAF-MUTES. 


By  Rev.  Thomas  L.  Kinkead, 

Of  Peekskill,  N.  V. 

The  condition  of  deaf-mutes  is,  of  all  conditions,  the  saddest,, 
and  deserving  of  our  keenest  sympathy.  Blindness  is  certainly  a 
great  affliction,  but  the  blind  man  is  not  so  completely  isolated  as 
the  deaf-mute.  By  the  gifts  of  speech  and  hearing  the  former  is 
brought  into  direct  contact  with  the  surrounding  world.  The 
pleasures  of  conversation,  music,  and  social  intercourse  are  all 
within  his  reach.  But  the  deaf-mute  is  a  stranger  to  these. 
While  the  blind  sit  in  physical  darkness,  the  deaf-mute  lives  in  in¬ 
tellectual  darkness.  His  source  of  information  is  most  limited,  and 
his  ideas  are  few.  He  cannot  inform  himself  ;  conversation  tells 
him  nothing;  he  wishes  to  ask,  but  cannot;  you  wish  to  explain,  but 
he  does  not  understand.  Is  it  not,  then,  a  duty  to  aid  by  every 
means  in  our  power  in  removing  these  obstacles  to  knowledge  and 
happiness  of  mind  and  soul? 

Parents  and  guardians  do  not  sufficiently  realize  the  need  of 
keeping  these  children  out  of  schools  in  which  their  religion  is 
treated  as  a  superstition.  The  effect  of  such  influence  is  worse, 
if  possible,  than  the  teaching  of  positive  infidelity.  It  becomes 
the  duty  of  every  one  to  urge  this  need  upon  parents  and  others, 
and  there  is  no  lack  of  proof.  For  a  trifling  expense,  a  slight  in¬ 
convenience  even,  or  supposed  advantage,  the  children’s  religion 
will  be  sacrificed.  These  children  are  as  much  exposed  to  human 
respect  as  others;  and  while  they  are  told  they  may  practise  their 

67 


68  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

religion,  all  influences  are  to  the  contrary,  and  few  will  avail  them¬ 
selves  of  the  apparently  proffered  privilege.  They  are  unable  to 
learn  even  the  most  ordinary  truths  of  moral  teaching  from  the 
persons  surrounding  them.  Some  seem  to  think  these  children  can 
learn  their  religion  after  they  have  acquired  an  education, — but  will 
they  be  disposed  then?  Will  they  find  a  priest  capable  of  instructing 
them?  If  a  priest  not  familiar  with  their  language  has  to  depend 
entirely  upon  writing  for  the  instruction  he  imparts,  the  progress 
must  be  slow  and  discouraging  to  both.  Deaf-mutes  are  accus¬ 
tomed  to  deal  only  with  the  concrete,  and  when  one  undertakes  to 
explain  the  abstract,  especially  the  mysteries  of  religion,  the  task 
becomes  most  difficult.  It  seems  they  can  get  ideas  of  the  ab¬ 
stract  only  by  their  sign  language,  and  comparatively  few  know  it. 
Again,  they  have  been  taught  to  place  so  little  value  on  religion 
that  they  are  not  willing  to  go  to  so  much  trouble  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  its  truths.  Neither  can  they  have  the  influence  of 
their  own  family,  for  there  are  few  families  in  which  the  mem¬ 
bers  are  able  to  converse  with  these  children  of  silence.  They 
must  live  a  life  of  solitude,  or  find  companions  elsewhere.  They 
are  particularly  anxious  to  find  persons  who  can  converse  with 
them  and  instruct  them,  and  they  will  go  to  hear  such  instruction, 
regardless  of  the  subject.  Hence  the  ease  with  which  they  may 
be  drawn  to  another  religion  when  opportunity  affords.  It  is 
found  that,  individually,  deaf-mutes  have  a  religious  tendency,  and 
it  should  be  developed  in  the  right  direction.  Owing  to  their  is¬ 
olation,  this  class  of  the  afflicted  is  exposed  to  particular  dangers 
which  need  not  be  mentioned  here. 

The  Church  was  the  first  to  take  up  the  work  of  instructing 
deaf-mutes  through  her  devoted  son,  Abbe  Sincard  of  Paris,  and 
she  should  not  allow  her  position  to  be  wholly  usurped.  Her  de¬ 
voted  ones  undertake  all  philanthropical  work  for  the  good  of  the 
soul.  Even  her  early  explorers,  as  we  know,  had  the  same  motive. 

According  to  the  United  States  census,  the  number  of  deaf- 
mutes  in  this  country  is  about  forty-five  thousand.  This  is  not 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


69 


the  accurate  number,  as  there  are  certain  infirmities  that  families 
are  unwilling  to  reveal  through  a  false  notion  that  such  will  be 
considered  derogatory.  Persons  conversant  with  the  subject  have 
placed  the  number  at  fifty  thousand.  In  some  countries  the  pro¬ 
portion  of  deaf-mutes  to  the  population  is  one  in  five  hundred  ;  in 
others,  one  in  three  hundred,  and  even  one  in  two  hundred.  In 
this  country  it  is  estimated  to  be  about  one  in  five  hundred.  This, 
of  course,  is  an  average.  In  some  localities  the  numbers  being 
higher,  and  in  others  lower. 

The  first  school  for  the  instruction  of  deaf-mutes  in  this  country 
was  opened  at  Hartford  in  1817.  It  was  called  the  American  Asy¬ 
lum  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  because  it  was  then  supposed  to  be 
capable  of  accommodating  all  the  deaf-mutes  in  this  country. 

There  are  now  institutions  of  this  character  in  almost  every 
State,  amounting  in  all  to  ninety,  of  which  about  ten  are  Catholic. 
New  York  has  eight  institutions,  of  which  four  are  Catholic.  The 
great  majority  of  Catholic  deaf-mutes  are  educated  in  State,  or  so- 
called  non-sectarian  schools.  It  is  remarkable  that  nearly  all  who 
receive  their  education  in  these  schools  are  lost  to  the  Church. 
One  danger  to  which  the  children  are  exposed  in  these  schools  is 
the  ridicule  they  must  bear  from  their  fellow-pupils,  so  that  the 
Catholic  children,  little  grounded  in  their  faith,  soon  become 
ashamed  of  it,  and  finally  abandon  it.  Yet  there  are  Catholic  chil¬ 
dren  in  all  these  public  or  private  non-Catholic  institutions.  Be¬ 
cause  the  deaf-mutes  are  scattered  over  so  vast  a  territory,  their 
number  in  any  locality  is  small,  and  consequently  they  are  prac¬ 
tically  lost  sight  of  ;  while  as  a  whole,  their  number  is  great.  Take 
for  example  the  City  of  New  York.  One  engaged  in  the  work  of 
their  instruction  writes  that  he  has  the  names  of  five  hundred 
deaf-mutes  in  and  about  New  York,  over  three  hundred  are  in 
three  institutions,  and  in  two  non-Catholic  institutions  there  are 
about  two  hundred,  making  a  total  of  one  thousand.  Yet  it  is  cer¬ 
tain  there  are  more,  for  new  names  are  being  frequently  added  to 
the  list. 


70 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  , 


Of  some  ten  thousand  deaf-mutes  attending  schools,  only  about 
eight  hundred  are  in  Catholic  schools,  and  yet  it  is  believed  that 
between  thirty-five  and  forty  per  cent,  of  all  deaf-mutes  are  Catho¬ 
lics.  This  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  deaf-mutes 
are  said  to  be  found  chiefly  among  the  poor,  and  Catholics,  as  a 
rule,  are  least  blessed  with  this  world’s  goods. 

The  sole  object  of  these  notes  is  to  bring  before  the  Conference 
a  few  facts  that  may  serve  partially  to  enlighten  and  partially  to 
provoke  investigation  and  discussion. 

“  What  are  we  doing  for  the  sick  and  the  aged  ?  ” 

The  Hon.  Edward  C.  Dunphy,  of  New  York,  made  a  strong  ap¬ 
peal  for  the  work  being  done  Bby  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis  in 
their  two  hospitals  located  in  New  York  City.  He  explained  fully 
and  with  great  effect  the  wonderful  self-denials  of  the  devoted 
Sisters  of  St.  Francis.  How,  without  regard  to  color,  religion,  or 
race,  the  sick  were  taken  in  and  cared  for  without  charge  ;  how, 
without  any  support  from  State,  and  very  little  from  city  (about 
$400  annually  from  the  Theatrical  Fund),  but  merely  by  their  own 
house  to  house  collections,  they  give  the  poor  sufferers  of  the  big 
city  the  ministrations  and  care  of  devoted,  untiring,  and  self-sacri¬ 
ficing  religious. 

Mr.  George  J.  Gillespie  appeared  for  St.  Vincent’s  Hospital, 
and  after  briefly  relating  its  history  and  work,  read  the  following 
synopsis  from  its  last  annual  report  : 

Number  of  patients  in  Hospital  Jan.  1st,  1897 . 133 

“  ff  “  admitted  during  the  year ....  2,372 

Total  number  treated . 2,505 

Of  these,  954  were  surgical,  and  1,551  were  medical  cases. 

Number  of  patients  treated  in  Accident  Ward,  but 


not  detained  for  Ward  treatment . 1,912 

Number  of  calls  responded  to  by  Ambulance . 2,464 


Of  these,  976  were  treated  in  the  Hospital,  482  were  treated 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


71 


at  the  scene  of  accident,  but  not  removed,  and  the  remainder 


were  taken  to  their  homes  or  elsewhere. 

Number  of  patients  treated  in  Hospital  : 

Wholly  free . 1,308 

Partly  free .  322 

Paying  full  board .  875 

Total . 2,505 

Total  number  of  patients  treated  in  Wards  since  the 

opening  of  the  Hospital  in  the  year  1849 . ,63,128 


SOME  NEEDED  CHARITIES. 


Mr.  Charles  Du  Ross, 

Of  New  York ,  N.  Y., 

made  the  following  report  of  the  work  done  by  the  Catholic 
Boys’  Association,  of  New  York,  N.  Y.  : 

During  the  past  summer  months,  when  schools  and  similar  insti¬ 
tutions  have  been  closed,  and  active  work  in  many  of  the  charitable 
institutions  of  the  great  City  of  New  York  has  been  suspended,  an 
unpretentious  little  clubhouse  in  West  16th  Street  has  had  its  doors 
wide  open  every  evening,  bidding  welcome,  to  the  much-neglected 
“  street  boy.”  Yes,  we  are  glad  to  say  we  have  been  able  to  so 
arrange  it  as  to  make  it  possible  to  keep  our  clubrooms  open  every 
evening  during  the  heated  term,  when,  after  all,  boys  on  the  streets 
of  our  metropolis  are  subjected  to  as  great  temptations  as  at  any 
other  season. 

Two  years  ago  to-day  we  opened  our  first  clubroom  ;  small,  it  is 
true,  but  nevertheless  very  attractive  to  the  boys,  with  a  gymnasium, 
rather  crude,  as  its  principal  feature.  Our  progress  since  then, 
though  not  rapid,  has  been  steady  and  very  encouraging.  At  the 
last  general  meeting  of  the  association  a  very  complete  consti¬ 
tution,  prepared  by  a  special  committee,  was  adopted,  thus  definite¬ 
ly  mapping  out  our  course  toward  the  successful  management 
of  the  present  “  Boys  ’Club”  and  the  establishment  of  others 
throughout  the  city. 

It  is  now  my  intention  to  briefly  review  what  has  been  done 
since  May  last,  and  I  hope  that  many  may  feel  encouraged  to  take 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


73 


up  this  work  of  the  Society  of  St.  Vincent  De  Paul — a  great  work 
of  Catholic  charities. 

In  addition  to  the  gymnasium,  we  have  a  library  of  over  500  vol¬ 
umes,  all  of  which  have  been  donated  ;  a  room  where  games,  such 
as  checkers,  crokinole,  etc.,  are  played,  and  prove  to  be  a  source 
of  great  amusement ;  a  loft  for  drill,  the  practice  of  a  fife  and 
drum  corps,  and  where  the  boys  can  indulge  in  foot-ball  and  tumb¬ 
ling.  We  have  also  provided  two  rooms  for  the  holding  of  classes. 
Previous  to  the  hot  weather,  classes  in  catechism,  book  keeping, 
and  drawing,  and  also  a  debating  society,  have  been  founded.  We 
feel  that  a  salutary  impression  has  been  made  on  the  scholars,  and 
hope  soon  to  resume  our  labors  in  this  line,  and  to  receive  the  hearty 
support  of  the  boys.  We  realize  that  any  boy  who  is  willing  to  make 
some  little  sacrifice  to  educate  himself  stands  a  good  chance  to  make 
for  himself,  in  the  large  city  of  ours,  a  position  both  lucrative,  and 
respectable,  and  to  become  an  honor  to  his  citizenship.  We  have  en¬ 
deavored  to  provide  special  entertainments  with  the  view  of  otter¬ 
ing,  at  intervals,  some  vocal  attractions,  so  that  the  interest  of  the 
boys  in  their  club  might  not  be  allowed  to  slacken.  For  this  pur¬ 
pose  we  have  used  the  drill-room,  provided  for  these  occasions 
with  movable  benches  (a  donation  of  a  member  of  the  association). 
A  stereopticon  lecture  was  given  by  Father  Dougherty,  of  the  Mis¬ 
sion  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin,  on  May  20th  last.  The  lecture 
was  both  instructive  and  amusing,  and  listened  to  with  deep  atten¬ 
tion.  On  another  occasion  some  ladies  and  gentlemen  kindly 
helped  to  make  a  pleasant  evening  for  our  boys  by  piano  playing, 
singing,  and  recitals.  If  one  could  judge  from  the  noise  and  hearty 
applause  of  the  250  boys  present,  he  would  have  concluded  that  the 
boys  had  had  a  very  enjoyable  time.  I  am  glad  to  say  that  the 
members  of  the  Nativity  Conference  have  kindly  promised  to  pro¬ 
vide  in  future  an  entertainment  every  month.  We  were  happy  to 
receive  this  offer,  not  only  on  the  boys’  account,  but  also  as  it 
shows  that  our  cause  is  spreading  among  the  different  Conferences 
of  the  St.  Vincent  De  Paul  Society. 


74  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES 

In  order  to  encourage  good  behavior  among  the  boys,  and  a  just 
pride  in  the  maintenance  of  their  clubrooms,  we  have  instituted  a 
monthly  auction  sale.  For  this  purpose  tickets  are  distributed 
every  evening  to  those  present  who  have  not  misbehaved.  At  the 
end  of  each  month  a  number  of  articles  are  procured,  which  are  then 
auctioned  off,  the  tickets  received  during  the  month  being  received 
in  payment.  These  auction  sales  are  very  attractive,  and  often  rival 
the  pandemonium  of  the  Stock  Exchange. 

For  the  purpose  of  inculcating  in  these  poor  boys  the  spirit  of 
economy  and  saving,  we  have  established  a  station  of  the  penny 
provident  fund.  This  enables  the  boy  to  deposit  any  amount,  how¬ 
ever  small,  as  in  a  savings  bank.  So  far,  the  pennies  saved  by  the 
boys  and  deposited  amount  to  over  $74.00. 

In  the  line  of  amusements,  our  greatest  success  has  undoubtedly 
been  in  the  summer  outings  we  have  been  enabled  to  give  the 
boys  through  the  kindness  of  members  and  friends  of  the  associa¬ 
tion.  In  June  last,  twelve  boys  were  taken  by  two  of  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  association  to  Coney  Island,  where  they  enjoved  a  ride 
on  the  merry-go-round,  a  bath  in  the  surf,  a  stroll  on  the  beach,, 
and  a  luncheon  on  the  iron  pier.  Rev.  Fr.  Dougherty,  of  the  Mis¬ 
sion  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin,  very  kindly  offered  to  entertain 
our  boys  at  Mount  Loretta,  on  Staten  Island,  on  Sundays  of  the 
summer  months.  One  hundred  and  sixty  boys  profited  by  the  in¬ 
vitation,  going  in  bands  of  from  25  to  50  on  four  different  occasions. 
They  were  treated  royally,  and  all  returned  greatly  pleased.  They 
had  two  bounteous  meals,  a  bath  in  the  bay,  and  a  good  game  of 
ball  in  something  more  than  a  city  street.  Through  the  charity  or¬ 
ganization  society  one  delicate  boy  spent  two  weeks  on  a  farm  in 
Florence,  N.  Y.  He  was  with  a  Catholic  family,  and  doubtless  en¬ 
joyed  every  moment  of  his  time,  as  could  be  judged  from  his  en¬ 
thusiastic  letters  home.  During  the  month  of  August  eighteen 
boys  spent  a  week  at  Morristown,  N.  J.  One  of  the  members  of 
the  association  was  kind  enough  to  throw  open  the  doors  of  his 
summer  cottage  to  receive  them.  They  were  under  the  direct 


REPORT  OF:  CONFERENCE  OK  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


75 


supervision  of  himself  and  family*  and  on  their  return  were  wild  with 
joy  at  the  manner  in  which  they  had  been  welcomed  and  the 
splendid  time  they  had  had. 

The  good  done  these  boys,  both  physically  and  morally,  by  a 
stay  in  the  country  under  auspices  so  propitious,  is  incalculable: 
We  are  glad  to  say  that  our  efforts  have  been  rewarded  by  gratis 
fying  results.  The  conduct  and  general  deportment  of  the  boys 
has  greatly  improved.  The  use  of  bad  language,  so  common  one 
year  ago,  has  become  a  rare  occurrence.  The  attendance  at  the 
club  during  the  last  four  months  has  been  remarkably  good,  the 
total  number  of  boys  attending,  16, 204  ;  making  a  daily  average  at¬ 
tendance  of  156.  I  might  state  here  that  the  attendance  of  the 
winter  months  is  fully  twice  as  much  as  that  of  the  summer  months, 
for  which  I  have  just  quoted  statistics.  The  attendance  for  the 
whole  of  last  year  amounts  to  the  grand  total,  55,290. 

The  revenue  on  which  we  depend  to  carry  on  the  work  is  .de¬ 
rived  almost  entirely  from  entertainments  and  donations.  Any 
person  who  subscribes  one  dollar  per  year  may  become  an  asso¬ 
ciate  member  of  the  association.  And  a  person  who  contributes 
$100.00  may  be  elected  as  a  life  member  of  the  association.  Last 
year  the  association  maintained  the  club  on  West  16th  St.  at  a  cost 
of  $1,461.58. 

This  work  of  boys’  clubs  is  undoubtedly  a  great  field  of  labor, 
and  what  we  need  more  than  anything  else,  is  real  active  work. 
We  need  men  who  are  willing  to  sacrifice  some  of  their  leisure 
time  to  lend  their  assistance  in  conducting  these  clubs.  At  pres¬ 
ent  the  outlook  is  very  encouraging,  but  our  success  is  yet  to  be 
permanently  established.  Our  principal  need  is  real  active  assist¬ 
ance  which  can  at  all  times  to  depended  upon. 

Report  of  the  work  accomplished  by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  was 
made  by  Mr.  Luke  J.  Lindon.  He  detailed  the  results  of  their 
labors  in  the  parochial  schools  and  academies,  and  in  the  hospitals, 


76 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


work-houses,  reformatories,  and  prisons.  His  report  was  supple¬ 
mented  by  Mr.  George  J.  Gillespie,  who  gave  a  very  clear  ex¬ 
planation  of  the  beautiful  work  undertaken  by  this  devoted  Sister¬ 
hood  at  the  Sanitarium  Gabriels  in  the  Adirondacks,  of  the  causes 
which  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  sanitarium,  the  labors  and 
troubles  incident  thereto,  and  the  results. 


Rev.  Thomas  L.  Kinkead  read  the  following  Constitution  of 
“  The  Catholic  Charities  Association  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New 
York 

Article  I. 

NAME. 

This  Association  shall  be  known  as  The  Catholic  Charities 
Association  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New  York. 

Article  II. 
objects. 

The  objects  of  this  Association  shall  be  the  promotion  and  en¬ 
couragement  of  all  work  of  Catholic  charity  and  benevolence, 
and  the  safeguarding  of  all  interests  pertaining  thereto,  having  the 
sanction  and  approval  of  the  Archbishop  of  New  York. 

Article  III. 
organization. 

Sec.  i.  In  each  parish  of  the  Archdiocese  there  shall  be  a  Parish 
Representative,  appointed  by  the  Pastor,  or  selected  by 
the  Executive  Committee  with  the  approval  of  the  Pastor. 
He  shall  hold  office  for  one  year  and  until  his  successor 
is  appointed,  or  selected.  In  case  of  his  death,  removal 
from  the  parish,  or  failure  to  perform  the  duties  of  his 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


77 


office,  another  Parish  Representative  may  be  appointed 
by  the  Pastor,  or  selected  by  the  Executive  Committee,  in 
his  place. 

Sec.  2.  This  Representative  shall  select  four  other  persons,  two 
men  and  two  women,  and  shall  present  their  names  to 
the  Executive  Committee  as  co-laborers  with  himself  in 
parish  work.  If  the  Executive  Committee  approve  the 
selection  of  the  four  persons  named,  they,  together  with 
the  Parish  Representative,  shall  constitute  a  Parish 
Committee . 

If  the  Executive  Committee  disapprove  of  any  selection 
made  by  the  Parish  Representative,  it  shall  at  once 
notify  him  of  such  disapproval,  and  the  Parish  Represen¬ 
tative  shall  thereupon  present  another  name,  or  other  name 
for  the  approval  of  the  Executive  Committee,  The  four 
associate  members  of  the  Parish  Committee  shall  hold 
office  for  one  year,  and  until  their  successors  are  selected 
and  approved.  The  Parish  Representative  shall  be  Chair¬ 
man  of  the  Parish  Committee. 

Sec.  3.  The  Chairmen  of  the  several  Parish  Committees  shall 
constitute  in  each  County  a  County  Committee.  Each 
County  Committee  shall  elect  its  own  Chairman  and 
Secretary. 

Sec.  4.  The  Chairmen  of  the  several  County  Committees  shall  con¬ 
stitute  a  Diocesan  Co7nmittee. 

The  Diocesan  Committee  shall  elect  its  own  Chairman 
and  Secretary. 

Sec.  5.  There  shall  be  an  Executive  Committee  of  twenty-five 
members  appointed  by  the  Supervisor  of  Charities  of  the 
Archdiocese  of  New  York,  in  the  month  of  September  in 
each  year,  who  shall  hold  office  for  one  year  from  the 
first  of  October  following,  and  until  their  successors  are 
appointed.  At  the  first  regular  meeting  of  the  Executive 
Committee  held  after  its  appointment,  it  shall  elect  a 


78 


REPOET  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


Chairman,  a  Secretary,  and  a  Treasurer,  and  the  officers- 
so  chosen  shall  be  respectively  the  President,  the  Secre¬ 
tary,  and  the  Treasurer  of  the  Association. 

Sec.  6.  The  Supervisor  of  Charities  of  the  Archdiocese  shall  be 
ex-officio,  a  member  of  all  committees. 

Article  IV. 

DUTIES  OF  PARISH,  COUNTY,  AND  DIOCESAN  COMMITTEES. 

Sec.  i.  Parish  Committees  shall  meet  at  least  once  a  month,  and 
as  often  as  they  may  be  called  together  by  their  respec¬ 
tive  chairmen,  in  places  most  convenient  for  themselves- 

Sec.  2.  It  shall  be  their  duty: 

a.  To  work  in  conjunction  and  harmony  with  every  duly 
organized  parish  society. 

b.  To  acquaint  themselves  thoroughly  with  all  subjects  of 
charity  in  their  respective  parishes. 

C.  To  refer  cases  needing  attention  to  the  society  having 
such  matter  in  charge,  if  any  such  there  be. 

d.  To  keep  an  accurate  list  of  all  Catholic  Charitable  Insti¬ 
tutions,  Societies,  and  Associations  in  the  Archdiocese,  and 
to  familiarize  themselves  with  the  general  scope  and  pur¬ 
pose,  as  well  as  the  methods,  rules,  and  regulations  of  such 
Institutions  and  Societies. 

e.  To  keep  a  list,  also,  of  any  other  Charitable  ar  Reforma¬ 
tory  Institutions  and  Homes,  public  or  private,  of  which 
Catholics  of  the  parish  may  become  immates  ;  and  to 
familiarize  themselves,  as  far  as  possible,  with  the  general 
methods  and  working  of  such  Institutions. 

f.  To  keep  a  list  of  all  members  of  their  respective  parishes, 
whether  adults  or  children,  who  are  inmates  of  any  such 
Institutions  or  who  have  been  sent  from  such  Institutions- 
and  placed  in  Homes,  with  the  cause  of  their  being  there, 
and  any  other  obtainable  information  which  may  seem 
desirable  relating  to  such  cases. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


79 

g.  To  see  to  it,  as  far  as  may  be  possible,  that  Catholics  of 
the  parish,  whether  adults  or  children,  who  have,  or  may 
become  inmates  of  such  Charitable  or  Reformatory  Institu¬ 
tions,  or  who  have  been,  or  are  likely  to  be,  placed  in 
homes,  shall  not  be  exposed  to  influences  prejudicial  to 
their  faith  or  morals. 

h.  To  ascertain  what  Catholic  families,  if  any,  in  the  parish, 
are  willing,  as  a  work  of  charity,  to  accept  and  care  for 
children,  whether  boys  or  girls,  who  may  be  sent  to  them 
from  Charitable  or  Reformatory  Institutions;  and  to  keep 
the  Executive  Committee  advised  of  the  names  and  ad¬ 
dresses  of  such  families,  and  confidentially,  of  their 
character,  circumstances,  etc.,  and  other  matters  likely  to 
affect  the  moral  or  physical  welfare  of  children  commit¬ 
ted  to  their  care. 

i.  To  keep  a  watchful  eye  over  all  Catholic  children  who 
have  been  sent  from  Institutions  and  placed  in  families  in 
the  parish,  and  to  see  to  it,  as  far  as  possible,  that  such 
children  live  up  to  their  faith,  and  are  properly  treated. 

j.  To  report,  as  often  as  may  be  necessary,  to  the  Executive 
Committee,  any  fact  or  condition  requiring  special  atten¬ 
tion,  in  order  to  afford  proper  relief  or  assistance  to  any 
person  or  family  in  the  parish,  or  to  correct  any  existing 
evil,  or  abuse,  in  the  matter  of  charity  work. 

k.  To  report  to  the  Executive  Committee,  at  least  twice  a 
year,  the  general  condition  of  charity  work  in  the  parish; 
giving  in  such  report,  as  far  as  possible,  the  names  of  alt 
members  of  the  parish  who  are  inmates  of  Charitable  or 
Reformatory  Institutions, .and  the  names  of  the  Institutions 
in  which  they  are  living;  the  names  and  present  addresses 
of  children  who  have  been  placed  in  homes,  anywhere  ; 
and  a  list  of  families,  if  any,  in  the  parish,  who  are  sup¬ 
porting  Catholic  children  sent  to  them  by  Institutions,  as 
charity  subjects,  with  the  names  and  ages  of  such  chil- 


80  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

dren,  the  circumstances  of  their  coming  to  such  families, 
and  their  present  condition,  spiritual  and  material. 

Sec.  3.  The  County  Committees  shall  meet  once  a  month  at  con¬ 
venient  places  in  the  respective  Counties. 

At  such  meetings  the  several  parish  representatives 
shall  make  known  to  the  Committee  the  work  which  is 
being  accomplished  in  their  parishes,  and  confer  as  to  the 
best  methods  of  promoting  and  sustaining  County  Chari¬ 
ties. 

They  shall  report  to  the  Executive  Committee,  as  often 
as  to  them  shall  seem  best,  the  conditions  of  Charitable 
and  Benevolent  Work  in  their  respective  Counties,  giving 
such  information,  and  making  such  suggestions  as  they 
may  deem  proper. 

Sec.  4.  The  Diocesa?i  Committee  shall  meet  once  every  three  months, 
and  as  often  as  it  may  be  called  together  by  its  Chair¬ 
man,  in  the  City  of  New  York. 

It  shall  keep  itself  thoroughly  informed,  at  all  times,  as 
to  the  work  and  the  needs  of  all  Catholic  Charitable  Insti¬ 
tutions,  Societies,  and  Associations  in  the  Archdiocese. 

It  shall  call  the  attention  of  the  Executive  Committee 
to  any  fact,  condition,  or  need  relating  to  Catholic  Chari¬ 
ties  which  shall  seem  to  demand  attention  upon  the  part 
of  that  Committee,  and  may  make  any  suggestions  there¬ 
on  which  it  may  deem  proper. 

Article  V. 

THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE. 

Sec.  1.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  meet  on  the  last  Monday  in 
each  month,  and  as  often  as  it  may  be  called  together  by  its 
Chairman. 

Sec.  2.  At  the  regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  Committee,  held 
in  the  month  of  October,  the  Chairman  shall  appoint  the 
following  standing  Committees,  consisting  of  at  least  five 


REPORT  OE  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


81 


members  of  each :  A  Committee  on  Legislation,  a  Commit¬ 
tee  on  Representation,  a  Committee  on  Statistics,  a  Commit¬ 
tee  on  Practical  Charities ,  a  Committee  on  Finance. 

The  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  shall  be, 
ex-officio,  a  member  of  all  standing  Committees. 

Sec.  3.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  supervise,  and  have  the 
general  management  of,  the  work  of  the  Catholic  Chari¬ 
ties  Associations. 

Sec.  4.  It  shall  receive  and  give  proper  consideration  to  all  re¬ 
ports  and  communications  from  Parish  and  County  Com¬ 
mittees,  and  from  the  Diocesan  Committee  ;  and  all  such 
reports  and  communications  shall  be  placed  on  file. 

Sec.  5.  Any  subject,  properly  brought  before  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee,  may  be  discussed  and  acted  upon  in  full  Com¬ 
mittee,  or  be  referred  to  the  proper  standing  Committee 
for  action,  as  the  Executive  Committee  may  decide. 

Sec.  6.  It  shall  render  all  proper  assistance  to  the  Parish  and 
County  Committees  when  called  upon  by  such  Commit-; 
tees,  or  their  representatives. 

It  may,  at  any  time,  call  for  reports  from  these  Com¬ 
mittees  as  to  their  work,  and  for  information  regarding 
matters  in  their  respective  parishes,  or  counties,  which 
are  properly  within  the  cognizance  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee. 

Sec.  7.  Members  of  the  Executive  Committee  may  be  present 
at  any  of  the  meetings  of  the  Parish  or  County  Commit¬ 
tees,  but  shall  take  no  part  therein,  except  when  invited 
to  do  so  by  the  Parish  Representative,  or  the  Chairman 
of  the  County  Committee. 

Sec.  8.  The  Committee  on  Legislation  shall,  whenever  occasion 
requires,  exert  its  utmost  efforts  to  prevent  any  legisla¬ 
tion  inimical  to  the  rights  of  dependent  Catholics,  or  of 
Catholic  Charitable  Institutions  or  Associations.  It  shall 
advocate  whatever  conserves  those  rights,  and  shall  be 


82  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

generally  charged  with  all  matters  pertaining  to  legisla¬ 
tion  which  may  directly  or  indirectly  affect  them. 

Sec.  9.  The  Committee  on  Representation  shall  endeavor  to  have 
the  Association  represented,  by  at  least  one  member  of 
the  Association,  in  every  non-sectarian  charitable  asso¬ 
ciation  within  the  Archdiocese,  and  in  such  other  asso¬ 
ciations  and  societies  as  may  be  deemed  advisable. 

Each  representative  shall  make  it  his  duty  to  be  present 
at  the  meetings  of  any  association  or  society  of  which  he 
is  a  member,  to  study  the  works  and  methods  thereof, 
and  report  to  the  Executive  Committee  whatever  seems 
best  calculated  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  Catholic 
Charitable  work. 

Sec.  10.  The  Committee  on  Statistics  shall  obtain,  and  preserve  in 
proper  form,  full  information  concerning  all  Charitable  In¬ 
stitutions,  Societies,  and  Associations,  within  the  Archdio¬ 
cese,  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Executive  Committee. 

Sec.  11.  The  Committee  on  Practical  Charities  shall  be  especially 
charged  with  the  duty  of  assisting  the  Parish  and  County 
Committees  in  their  work.  They  shall  put  themselves 
in  communication  with  all  Catholic  Charitable  Institutions, 
Societies,  and  Associations  in  the  Archdiocese,  either  by 
calling  personally,  or  corresponding  with  them. 

They  shall  keep  themselves  fully  advised  as  to  the  char¬ 
acter,  methods,  and  resources  of  all  such  Institutions  and 
Associations,  and  their  ability  to  render  assistance  in  any 
case,  as  well  as  their  rules  and  regulations;  so  that  they 
may  at  all  times  be  prepared  to  give  any  proper  informa¬ 
tion  and  assistance  to  the  Parish  and  County  Committee 
relating  thereto. 

They  shall  obtain  from  the  Parish  Committees  a  list  of 
Catholic  families  in  their  respective  parishes,  who  are  will¬ 
ing  and  competent  to  support  and  care  for  one  or  more 
children  who  may  be  sent  to  them. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


83 


They  shall  see  to  it  that  all  Charitable  and  Reformatory 
Institutions  in  the  Archdiocese,  who,  from  time  to  time, 
may  be  seeking  homes  for  children  under  their  care,  are 
furnished  with  a  list  of  such  families  and  their  addresses, 
and  that  Catholic  children  sent  from  such  Institutions 
are  placed  only  in  suitable  Catholic  homes. 

Sec.  12.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Committee  on  Finance  to  sug¬ 
gest  ways  and  means  for  raising  any  necessary  funds 
for  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  Association,  and  to  carry 
them  into  effect  with  the  approval  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee. 

Sec.  13.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  prepare  and  issue  a  cir¬ 
cular  letter,  or  pamphlet,  and  shall  revise  or  amend  and 
reissue  the  same  as  often  as  circumstances  may  require, 
giving  a  list  of  Charitable  Catholic  Institutions  and  Asso¬ 
ciations  in  the  Archdiocese,  their  officers  and  their  loca¬ 
tions,  a  statement  of  their  general  character  and  purpose, 
how  their  assistance  in  any  case  may  be  obtained,  and 
such  other  information  relating  thereto  as  may  be  useful 
to  Parish  and  County  Committees. 

Such  circular  may  also  contain  any  information  upon 
the  law  relating  to  public  and  private  charities  which  the 
Executive  Committee  may  deem  of  service  to  members  of 
Parish  Committees.  It  shall  contain  the  Constitution  of 
this  Association,  with  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  Ex¬ 
ecutive  Committee  and  of  the  Parish  Representatives. 

Article  VI. 

ASSOCIATE  MEMBERS. 

Sec.  i.  In  addition  to  the  Regular  Membership  of  this  Associa¬ 
tion,  as  provided  for  in  Article  IIP,  there  shall  be  an  As¬ 
sociate  Membership. 

Sec.  2.  The  Executive  Committee  may,  at  any  of  its  meetings 


84  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

bv  a  majority  vote,  elect  as  an  Associate  Member  any 
person  proposed  by  any  regular  member  of  the  Associa¬ 
tion. 

Sec.  3.  Associate  Members  shall  not  be  required  to  perform  any 
active  work,  but  their  voluntary  offer  of  assistance  may, 
in  the  discretion  of  any  of  the  Committees,  be  accepted; 
and  in  the  performance  of  such  voluntary  duties  they  shall 
be  considered  as  associate  members  of  such  Committees. 

Sec.  4.  The  annual  dues  of  Associate  Members  shall  be  ten  ($10) 
dollars,  to  be  paid  on  October  first  of  each  year. 

Article  VII. 

ANNUAL  MEMBERS. 

Sec.  1.  There  shall  be  an  Annual  Public  Meeting  of  all  the  Reg¬ 
ular  and  Associate  Members  of  this  Association. 

Sec.  2.  At  the  Annual  Meeting  the  Executive  Committee  shall 
present  a  summarized  statement  of  the  work  of  the  Asso¬ 
ciation  for  the  previous  year,  and  of  the  existing  condi¬ 
tions  of  Catholic  Charitable  and  Benevolent  Work 
throughout  the  Archdiocese. 

Sec.  3.  At  such  Annual  Meetings  papers  may  be  read,  and 
addresses  delivered,  upon  subjects  pertaining  to  public  and 
private  charities,  and  to  Reformatory  work;  and  discus¬ 
sions  may  be  had  thereon. 

Article  VIII. 

AMENDMENTS. 

Sec.  i.  This  constitution  may  be  amended  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of 
all  the  members  of  the  Executive  Committee. 

Sec.  2.  No  amendment  to  the  Constitution  shall  be  voted  upon, 
unless  it  has  been  offered  at  a  previous  meeting  of  the 
Executive  Committee,  and  copies  of  the  proposed  amend¬ 
ment  have  been  sent  to  all  members  of  that  Committee  at 
least  one  week  before  it  is  to  be  voted  upon. 


Closing  Remarks  by  Rev.  Thos.  L.  Kinkead, 


Of  Peekskill,  N.  Y. 


Called  upon  to  make  a  few  closing  remarks,  I  find  it  difficult  to 
choose  between  the  important  subjects  discussed  by  this  Conference, 
hence  I  may  be  pardoned  if,  following  the  order  of  our  program, 
I  touch  briefly  on  them  all.  We  have  learned,  I  am  sure,  from  the 
excellent  papers  read,  that  no  one  need  be  out  of  employment  in 
the  field  of  charity.  Moreover,  the  recompense  is  great  and  the 
pay  sure.  We  have  heard  of  the  need  of  organization.  Every¬ 
thing  in  our  day,  it  seems,  is  accomplished  through  organization. 
And  if  we  seek  best  results  in  our  permanent  charities,  we,  too,  must 
have  organization.  The  Laws  of  the  State  in  regard  to  charities 
are,  we  have  seen,  somewhat  complicated,  not  indeed  through  any 
design  to  make  them  so,  but  through  a  constant  tendency  to  new 
legislation. 

The  nurseries  and  boys’  clubs  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  family, 
and  the  family  is  of  divine  origin.  Children  should  be  maintained 
in  their  own  homes,  if  possible,  and  only  when  these  homes  become 
unfit  for  them  should  they  be  removed  to  places  of  physical  and 
moral  safety.  A  little  effort  devoted  to  the  reformation  of  unworthy 
parents  might  prove  a  most  effectual  means  of  befriending  their 
children.  Out-door  relief  will,  we  know,  in  some  degree  be  always 
necessary,  but  every  precaution  should  be  taken  to  prevent  its  fos¬ 
tering  pauperism.  The  unjust  steward  said:  “To  dig,  I  am  not 
able;  to  beg,  I  am  ashamed.”  His  plea  might  be  truthfully  reversed 
by  some  seeking  aid  in  our  day. 

We  have  listened  with  increasing  attention  to  the  reports  of  our 

85 


86  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

Foundling  and  Infant  Asylums,  but  what  report  can  give  an  ade¬ 
quate  idea  of  their  life-saving  and  soul-saving  work  !  Their  records 
are  in  heaven  rather  than  on  earth. 

From  the  paper  on  dependent  children  we  cannot  fail  to  learn 
how  much  may  still  be  done  in  this  department  of  our  charities. 
’Tis  true  our  well-equipped  institutions  are  doing  a  grand  work 
for  these  children,  but  that  work  should  be  supplemented  by  an 
earnest  effort  on  the  part  of  the  people  to  open  up  to  these  chil¬ 
dren,  already  trained  and  instructed,  the  avenues  that  lead  to  em¬ 
ployment  and  self-support.  What  better  occupation  could  one 
find  than  aiding  willing  boys  and  girls  to  become  useful,  self-support¬ 
ing,  self-respecting  citizens,  and  faithful  members  of  their  Church! 

We  have  been  touched  by  the  paper  on  deaf-mutes.  Surely  they 
are  entitled  to  our  sympathy  and  our  aid.  We  know  with  what  diffi¬ 
culty  even  normal  children  acquire  a  clear  knowledge  of  any  branch, 
and  most  of  all,  of  the  truths  of  faith.  How  greatly  this  difficulty 
must  be  augumented  for  the  poor  defective  children  of  silence! 

The  aged  have  a  special  claim  on  our  sympathy,  for  we  are  ap¬ 
proaching  their  condition.  Every  reasonable  comfort  should  be 
given  them.  It  must  be  a  sore  trial  for  the  respectable  aged  poor 
in  an  almshouse  to  live  in  daily  intercourse  with  life-long  va¬ 
grants  and  broken-down  outcasts  of  society.  Any  classification, 
public  or  private,  that  would  help  to  remove  that  portion  of  their 
misery,  would  indeed  be  a  blessing  to  the  worthy  poor. 

We  are  reminded  by  our  program  under  the  title,  “Some  Need¬ 
ed  Charities,”  that  there  are  even  new  fields  of  labor  for  the  earnest 
and  willing.  We  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  obligation  of  prac¬ 
tising  the  spiritual  and  corporal  works  of  mercy  rests  proportionately, 
according  to  their  abilities,  upon  all  the  faithful;  and  if  those  conse¬ 
crated  to  God  have  assumed  the  great  burden  of  the  work,  they 
should  not  be  left  to  bear  it  alone. 

Be  not  content  with  giving  a  little  alms;  personal  service  joined 
to  your  alms,  or  even  without  them,  will  endear  you  to  the  poor. 

When  the  good  Samaritan  came  upon  the  wounded  man,  as  told 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


87 


in  the  holy  Gospel,  it  was  after  a  Priest  and  a  Levite  had  passed 
him  by.  Men,  presumedly  religious,  closed  their  eyes  to  a  brother’s 
distress,  while  a  stranger  gave  the  needed  relief. 

Our  works  of  charity  should,  as  far  as  is  consistent  with  their 
character,  be  secretly  done,  and  aid  should  be  given  promptly.  It  is 
necessary  to  be  prudent  and  wise — to  be  even  cautious  in  our  char¬ 
ity;  but  is  it  not  better  to  be  deceived  sometimes  than  to  be  unchar¬ 
itable  always  ? 

In  conclusion,  let  us  hope  that  the  good  work  so  well  begun  by 
this  Conference  may  find  many  advocates  at  the  Summer  School 
of  America. 


CHARITY  AND  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 


Address  by  Hon.  Robert  W.  Hebberd, 

Secretary  of  the  New  York  State  Board  of  Charities. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : — Allow  me  to  thank 
you  most  cordially  for  your  exceedingly  kind  and  courteous 
invitation  to  address  the  Conference  of  Charities  connected  with 
The  Catholic  Summer  School  of  America  on  the  subject  of  “  Charity 
in  its  Relations  to  Civil  Government,”  which  had  been  chosen  as  the 
theme  of  the  late  Senator  O’Connor,  who  was  to  have  addressed  you. 

I  must  confess  that  it  was  with  considerable  diffidence  that  I 
accepted  the  recent  invitation  of  your  Committee  in  charge  of  this 
Conference  of  Charities,  to  speak  to  you,  for  I  very  fully  realized 
that  if  the  great  death  angel,  at  whose  behest  we  must  all  of  us  bow 
sooner  or  later,  had  not,  with  his  mysterious  wand  of  silence,  stilled 
the  voice  of  your  chosen  speaker,  he  would  this  evening,  doubtless, 
have  thrilled  you  with  his  eloquence  of  language,  while  I  must  be 
content  with  seeking  to  interest  you  for  a  short  time  only  in  a 
merely  commonplace  way.  When  I  reflected,  however,  as  I  told 
the  Secretary  in  my  answer,  that  a  Conference  of  Charities  must 
be  essentially  charitable,  I  decided  to  come. 

Before  proceeding  to  speak  on  the  subject  assigned  to  me,  I  want 
to  tell  you  that  I  have  attended  each  session  of  the  Conference, 
and  have  greatly  enjoyed  and  profited  by  the  speeches  and  discus¬ 
sions.  The  Committee  seems  to  have  been  unusually  successful 
in  the  arrangement  of  its  session  program. 

Already,  during  the  year,  I  had  attended  two  somewhat  similar 

gatherings :  one  the  National  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction, 

,  88 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  89' 

held  at  New  York  in  May,  and  the  other  the  Annual  Convention 
of  the  County  Superintendents  of  the  Poor  of  this  State,  held  at 
Niagara  Falls  in  June.  At  both  of  these  meetings  the  Catholic 
charities  of  the  State  were  ably  represented,  the  delegation  to  the 
first-named  meeting  being  especially  large  and  impressive. 

At  it  the  Chairman  of  this  Conference  had  the  honor  of  being 
elected  to  the  very  important  and  much-sought-for  position  of 
Chairman  of  the  “Committee  on  the  Care  of  Destitute  and  Neg¬ 
lected  Children,”  of  the  next  Conference,  which  is  to  be  held  at 
Cincinnati  for  a  week  in  May,  1899.  I  hope  as  many  of  you  as 
possible  will  be  there  to  hold  up  his  hands,  and  to  take  an  active 
part  in  the  Conference  proceedings,  as  representatives  of  the  Chari¬ 
ties  of  the  Empire  State,  which,  as  I  mean  to  show  you  later  in  my 
remarks,  are  indeed  imperial  in  their  character  and  extent.  This 
being  unmistakably  so,  I  want  to  make  the  suggestion  right  here, 
for  the  first  time  in  public,  that  New  York  State  should  have  a 
great  State  Conference  of  Charities  of  its  own,  following  the  ex¬ 
ample  of  a  number  of  the  Western  States,  which  have  such  Con¬ 
ferences  in  very  successful  operation.  As  I  attend  these  gatherings 
I  am  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  view  that  it  is  impossible 
for  earnest  men  and  women  to  get  together  and  discuss  the  won¬ 
derfully  interesting  problems  connected  with  the  administration  of 
charities,  without  mutually  benefiting  thereby  to  a  very  considerable 
extent.  These  opportunities  for  the  exchange  of  knowledge  and 
opinions  serve  to  broaden  the  mind,  to  dispel  prejudice,  and  to 
enable  those  who  are  sincere  and  disinterested  to  come  to  a  com¬ 
mon  ground  of  understanding,  and  to  work  together  in  the  inter¬ 
est  of  the  poor  and  the  unfortunate. 

The  conditions  of  life  among  the  poor  of  our  large  cities  are  be¬ 
coming  so  complex,  and  the  problems  growing  so  great,  that  this- 
sort  of  co-operation  is  absolutely  essential  if  the  best  results  are 
to  be  attained. 

But  now,  with  your  permission,  I  shall  address  myself  more 
directly  to  the  subject  assigned  to  me. 


90  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

Almost  from  time  immemorial  to  the  present  day,  but  probably 
never  more  so  than  now,  Charity  has  had  a  direct  and  positive 
relation  to  civil  government. 

You  will,  I  trust,  be  disposed  to  pardon  me  if  I  go  back  for  a 
single  moment  to  the  time  when  the  children  of  Israel  wandered 
in  the  wilderness,  especially  if  I  assure  you  that  it  is  my  intention 
to  skip  a  considerable  portion  of  the  intervening  time.  If  you  will 
turn  to  the  chronicles  in  the  book  of  Leviticus,  you  will  there  dis¬ 
cover  that  Moses,  the  great  law-giver,  while  leading  his  people 
toward  that  “  Promised  Land  ”  that  his  weary  eyes  were  never  to 
behold  nor  his  feet  to  rest  upon,  by  the  direct  authority  of  God 
established  in  a  very  practical  way,  a  direct  connection  between 
the  civil  government  he  had  established  over  the  Israelites  and 
the  dispensation  of  charity,  for  in  the  22d  verse  of  the  23d  chap¬ 
ter  of  the  book  referred  to,  we  find  this  law: 

“  And  when  ye  reap  the  harvest  of  your  hand,  thou  shalt  not 
make  clean  riddance  of  the  corners  of  the  field  when  thou  reapest, 
neither  shalt  thou  gather  any  gleaning  of  thy  harvest:  thou  shalt 
leave  them  unto  the  poor  and  to  the  stranger:  I  am  the  Lord 
your  God.” 

Here  you  will  observe  that  by  authority  of  the  civil  law,  placed 
upon  the  old  Mosaic  statute  book  by  the  direct  command  of  God, 
as  we  are  taught,  the  children  of  Israel  were  obliged  to  relieve  the 
poor  by  their  direct  personal  benefactions  in  a  most  simple  and 
practical  way.  You  will  also  please  to  note  that  even  the  “  labor 
test  ”  that  we  hear  so  much  about  nowadays  when  we  venture  into 
the  domain  occupied  by  scientific  charity,  was  not  lacking,  for  the 
poor  were  required  to  garner  their  own  share  of  the  harvest. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  Governor  Pingree  of  Michigan  gathered 
the  inspiration,  which  caused  him,  when  Mayor  of  Detroit,  to  start 
his  “  Potato  patch  plan,”  as  it  is  called,  by  a  diligent  study  of  the 
Scriptures;  but  this,  you  will  understand,  is  a  mere  surmise  on  my 
part.  I  do  not  speak  with  any  assumption  of  authority  on  this 
particular  point. 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


91 


It  affords  me  much  gratification  to  be  able  to  testify,  as  the  re¬ 
sult  of  my  close  personal  observations  for  years,  that  this  ancient 
people,  the  Jews,  vie  most  successfully  with  their  Christian  breth¬ 
ren  in  deeds  of  unostentatious  charity,  and  that  in  their  benevolent 
administrations  they  omit  neither  race  nor  creed,  although,  of 
course,  as  may  readily  be  imagined,  very  properly  giving  especial 
attention  to  those  of  the  househeld  of  their  own  faith. 

Since  Moses’  day  almost  every  form  of  civilized  government,  of 
which  we  have  ever  heard,  has  either  directly  or  by  implication 
recognized  its  relation  to  organized  charity  in  some  form  or  other. 
All  sorts  of  measures  have  been  advocated,  from  time  to  time, 
and  many  adopted  by  various  forms  of  civil  government,  or  at  its 
instance,  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  poor.  Frequently  the 
remedy,  as  we  are  told  by  history,  has  been  found  to  be  even 
worse  than  the  disease,  and  to  have  caused  a  vast  increase  in  the 
number  of  dependents. 

For  example,  in  England,  in  the  time  of  King  George  the  Third, 
the  poor  laws  of  that  realm  were  founded  upon  and  enunciated  the 
theory  that  it  was  theduty  of  the  government  to  provide  either  em¬ 
ployment  or  outdoor  relief,  as  it  is  termed,  for  every  idle  person, 
with  the  result  that  great  numbers  of  the  population  “  rested  on 
their  oars,”  so  to  speak,  and  degenerated  into  a  condition  of  will¬ 
ing  pauperism.  These  laws,  after  a  comparatively  brief  but  most 
alarming  experience,  had  to  be  repealed,  and  the  enunciated  theory 
of  governmental  responsibility,  which  I  have  referred  to,  com¬ 
pletely  disavowed. 

The  accepted  theory  in  England  and  in  America  from  that  historic 
period  of  dependency  to  the  present  time,  although,  doubtless,  in 
practice  frequently  departed  from,  is  that  the  government  is  not 
bound  to  do  for  a  man  that  which  he  ought  to  be  able  to  do,  and 
is  ordinarily  able  to  do,  for  himself,  in  the  way  of  getting  employ¬ 
ment  ;  and  if  he,  being  able-bodied,  sinks  into  dependency  and 
seeks  public  relief,  he  must  accept  it  under  conditions  which  are, 
to  a  considerable  degree,  unpleasant,  and  from  which,  if  he 


92 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


possesses  any  true  spirit,  he  will  be  moved  to  escape  at  the  earliest 
moment  possible. 

It  will,  doubtless,  seem  to  many  a  sad  fact  that  unfortunate  men 
should  be  obliged  to  accept  such  an  alternative,  but  it  has  been 
demonstrated  times  without  number  that  along  this  line  of  theory 
and  action  lies  safety  to  the  great  mass  of  the  people,  and  that  any 
other  course  would  be  fraught  with  serious  and  far-reaching  dis¬ 
aster. 

I  am  not  satisfied  but  that  the  conditions  of  the  present  day 
approach,  in  some  degree,  the  conditions  prevalent  in  the  times 
of  George  the  Third.  Owing  to  the  complex  conditions  of  life  in 
our  great  cities,  various  forces  in  the  field  of  philanthropy  act  and 
re-act  upon  each  other  in  a  way  calculated  to  cloud  the  vision  of 
those  who  are  not  particularly  clear-minded  in  their  observation 
and  reasoning. 

To  me  it  seems  reasonably  apparent  that  if  private  charity  so 
supplements  public  charity,  or  vice  versa,  as  to  produce  conditions 
of  relief  giving  which  are  in  opposition  to  the  principle  I  have 
enunciated,  the  result  will  be  almost  as  harmful  to  the  State  as  if 
public  relief  giving  lapsed  again  into  the  old  and  hurtful  methods 
to  which  I  have  referred.  Hence  the  necessity  of  clear  judgment 
in  charitable  work,  and  closer  co-operation,  not  only  between  public 
and  private  charity,  but  between  all  administrations  of  charity,  to 
the  fullest  extent  that  can  be  made  practicable. 

Such  co-operation  need  carry  with  it  no  sacrifice  of  any  sound 
principle,  but  should,  to  the  contrary,  by  the  sentiments  of  mutual 
respect  and  toleration  likely  to  be  engendered,  go  far  towards  re¬ 
moving  prejudice,  and  preventing  injustice  of  various  sorts  which 
I  need  not  take  your  time  by  attempting  to  describe. 

In  our  own  country  and  State,  the  relations  between  charity  and 
civil  government  may  be  most  clearly  recognized.  One  of  your 
own  creed,  as  many  of  you  of  course  know,  the  Hon.  John  Tracey, 
brother  of  General  Charles  Tracey  of  Albany,  up  to  the  time  of 
his  decease,  somewhat  over  a  year  ago,  most  acceptably  filled  the 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


93 


position  of  Superintendent  of  Charities  of  the  District  of  Colum¬ 
bia,  being  appointed  by  the  representatives  of  the  national  govern¬ 
ment  for  that  purpose. 

At  the  National  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction,  held 
in  New  York,  to  which  I  have  referred,  the  Hon.  William  R.  Stew¬ 
art,  President  of  the  Conference  (and  President  of  the  New  York 
State  Board  of  Charities  as  well),  took  as  the  subject  of  his  open¬ 
ing  address:  “The  Duty  of  the  State  to  the  Dependent  and  Erring 
and  some  of  his  remarks  seem  so  pertinent  to  the  subject  under 
consideration  this  evening,  that  I  am  tempted  to  repeat  them  to 
you,  and  with  your  permission  will  undertake  to  do  so.  In  the 
course  of  his  address,  President  Stewart  said  : 

“  The  organic  law  of  every  State  should  explicitly  acknowledge  the  ob¬ 
ligation  of  its  people  to  make  provision  for  the  destitute,  insane,  idiotic, 
feeble-minded,  deformed,  and  epileptic,  and  the  delinquent  or  criminal. 
The  State  owes  no  higher  duty  than  the  protection  of  its  citizenship  from 
the  dangers  and  pollution  incidental  to  the  unrestrained  commingling  of 
these  defectives  with  the  people  generally  ;  nor  is  there  a  greater  evil  than 
the  increase  of  their  kind.  Wise  public  policy  requires  that,  for  these  un¬ 
fortunates,  uniform  and  suitable  custqdial  care  or  restraint  should  be  pro¬ 
vided  by  the  State.  The  destitute  blind  and  deaf,  whose  education,  by 
reason  of  their  deprivation  of  a  sense,  is  rendered  difficult  and  expensive, 
should  also  be  maintained  and  educated  by  the  State,  in  order  that  they 
may,  by  early  training  and  instruction,  become  self-supporting  and  intelli¬ 
gent  citizens. 

“  There  should  be  no  delay  until  abuses  in  private,  municipal,  or  county 
administration  enforce  the  extension  of  State  care.  Before  the  need  has 
arisen  the  duty  should  be  acknowledged,  and  the  promise  given,  that  the 
State  will  assume  the  care  of  all  the  classes  of  unfortunate  or  defective 
people  named  whose  relations  are  unable  to  make  suitable  provision  for 
them. 

“  By  the  Revised  Constitution,  adopted  in  1894,  the  State  of  New  York, 
for  the  first  time,  assumed  in  the  fundamental  law  the  duty  of  State  super¬ 
vision  for  the  defective  and  destitute,  insane  and  criminal,  by  directing  the 
Legislature  to  provide  for  State  Boards  or  Commissions  of  Charities, 
Lunacy,  and  Prisons,  to  visit  and  inspect  all  institutions  for  the  depend¬ 
ents,  or  delinquents,  in  the  State.  Subsequent  legislation,  enacted  pursuant 


94 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


to  the  authority  of  the  Constitution,  further  provided  that  all  county,  muni¬ 
cipal,  and  private  charities  should  be  subject  to  the  supervision  of  the 
State  Board  of  Charities.  For  many  years  previous  State  care  had  been 
generously  extended  to  the  insane,  idiots,  feeble-minded,  and  other  unfort¬ 
unates,  while  for  the  juvenile  or  older  offenders  and  more  hardened  crim¬ 
inals,  State  Reformatories  and  Prisons  were  established  when  required. 

“  By  more  recent  legislation,  the  State  of  New  York  has  also  made  pro¬ 
vision  for  destitute  veterans,  Indian  children,  and  for  epileptics,  on  a  farm 
known  as  ‘Craig  Colony,’  so  named  in  recognition  of  the  public  services  to 
humanity  of  the  late  Oscar  Craig,  of  Rochester,  formerly  President  of  the 
New  York  State  Board  of  Charities,  and  Vice-president  of  the  Seventeenth 
National  Conference  of  Charities  and  Correction.  This  colony  was  estab¬ 
lished  in  1894,  and  is  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  In 
passing,  a  tribute  should  be  paid  to  Ohio,  the  first  State  to  undertake  the 
care  and  treatment  of  epileptics,  in  an  asylum  exclusively  for  the  reception  of 
persons  afflicted  with  this  mysterious  disease,  opened  in  1893.  Massachus¬ 
etts,  California,  and  New  Jersey  have  since  taken  steps  in  the  same  direction. 

“  While,  therefore,  advanced  ground  has  been  recently  taken  by  the 
State  of  New  York  on  the  subject  of  State  care  for  the  dependent 
classes,  it  as  yet  only  inferentially  recognizes  this  duty,  by  the  direction  to 
the  Legislature  to  make  provision  for  the  three  supervisory  Boards  named. 
That  the  consideration  of  this  constitutional  obligation  is  important,  maybe 
demonstrated  by  the  fact  that,  in  no  State  Constitution  is  the  obligation  of 
the  State  to  provide  for  the  dependent  clearly  admitted,  except  in  that  of 
North  Carolina,  which,  by  Article  11,  Section  7,  declares  :  ‘Beneficent  pro¬ 
vision  for  the  poor,  the  unfortunate,  and  orphan  being  one  of  the  first  duties 
of  a  civilized  and  Christian  State,  the  General  Assembly  shall,  at  its  first 
session,  appoint  and  define  the  duties  of  a  Board  of  Public  Charities,  to 
whom  shall  be  intrusted  the  supervision  of  all  charitable  and  penal  institu¬ 
tions,  and  who  shall  annually  report  to  the  Governor  upon  their  condition, 
with  suggestions  of  their  improvement.’  All  honor  to  North  Carolina,  who 
has  pointed  out  this  duty  to  her  sister  States. 

“'The  Constitution  of  Nebraska,  by  Section  19,  provides  that  :  ‘  The  com¬ 
missioner  of  public  lands  and  buildings,  the  secetary  of  state,  treasurer,  and 
attorney-general,  shall  form  a  board,  which  shall  have  general  supervision 
and  control  of  all  the  buildings,  grounds,  and  lands  of  the  State,  the  state 
prison,  asylums,  and  all  other  institutions  thereof,  except  those  for  educa¬ 
tional  purposes  ;  and  shall  perform  such  duties,  and  be  subject  to  such 
rules  and  regulations,  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law.’ 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


95 


“  The  Constitution  of  South  Dakota,  by  Article  14,  Section  14,  declares 
what  the  charitable  and  penal  institutions  shall  consist  of,  and  by  Section  2, 
directs  that :  ‘The  State  Institutions  provided  for  in  the  preceding  section 
shall  be  under  the  control  of  a  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Correction, 
under  such  rules  and  restrictions  as  the  Legislature  shall  provide  ;  such 
Board  to  consist  of  not  to  exceed  five  members,  to  be  appointed  by  the 
Governor  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  and  whose  compensation  shall  be 
fixed  by  law.’ 

“  The  Constitution  of  Wyoming,  in  Sections  i8and  19,  provides,  under  the 
caption,  Charitable  and  Pe'nal  Institutions  :  ‘  Such  charitable,  reformatory, 
and  penal  institutions  as  the  claims  of  humanity  and  the  public  good  may 
require,  shall  be  established  and  supported  by  the  State,  in  such  manner  as 
the  Legislature  may  prescribe.  They  shall  be  under  the  general  super¬ 
vision  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  Reform,  whose  duties  and  powers 
shall  be  prescribed  by  law.’  The  property  of  all  charitable  and  penal  in¬ 
stitutions  belonging  to  the  Territory  of  Wyoming  shall,  upon  the  adoption 
of  this  constitution,  become  the  property  of  the  State  of  Wyoming,  and 
such  of  said  institutions  as  are  then  in  actual  operation  shall  thereafter 
have  the  supervision  of  the  Board  of  Charities  and  Reform,  as  provided  in 
the  last  preceding  section  of  this  article,  under  provisions  of  the  Legisla¬ 
ture.’ 

“No  State  has  reasonably  fulfilled  its  duty  to  the  dependent,  which  has 
not  only  acknowledged  this  duty  in  the  organic  law,  but  has  also  established 
in  such  law  supervising  Commissions  of  Charities,  Prisons,  and,  if  need  be, 
of  Lunacy.  Adequate  State  supervision  should  be  thus  provided  for,  and 
removed  from  the  uncertainties  of  legislature  action.  Only  the  five  States 
already  named  have  taken  this  step.  Sixteen  other  States  have  by  statute 
established  supervisory  Boards  under  various  titles.  Twenty-four  States, 
among  them  several  of  our  oldest  and  most  populous,  have  as  yet  intrusted 
a  Commission  to  no  Board,  to  see  that  their  wards  are  suitably  cared  for 
and  protected.  The  number  establishing  Commissions  is,  however,  in¬ 
creasing,  and  the  hope  is  expressed  that  the  thirtieth  assemblage  of  this 
body  will  be  participated  in  by  delegates  of  State  Boards  from  every 
State.’’ 

The  facts  thus  stated  by  President  Stewart  give  evidence,  in  a 
general  way,  of  the  official  relations  which  various  States  of  our 
Union  hold  towards  the  charities  which  operate  within  their 
borders.  These  relations,  however,  are  by  no  means  of  a  uniform 


REPORT  OE  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


96 


character,  but  differ  in  almost  every  State.  Some  have  great 
powers,  amounting  almost,  if  not  quite,  to  absolute  control  over 
the  public  institutions  of  charity,  with  no  authority  over  the  pri¬ 
vate  charities.  Others  have  moderate  powers,  covering  in  their 
authority  public  and  private  charities  as  well,  our  own  State  find¬ 
ing  itself  in  this  latter  class. 

The  State  Board  of  Charities  of  the  State  of  New  York  was  or¬ 
ganized  in  1867,  but  was  not  the  pioneer — Boards  having  been  or¬ 
ganized  in  Massachusetts  and  Ohio  prior  thereto. 

Its  powers  were  at  first  comparatively  limited,  but  have  gradually 
been  enlarged  as  the  State  has  grown  in  size,  and  the  conditions 
of  life  within  it  have  become  more  complicated,  until  now  the 
powers  and  responsibilities  devolved  upon  the  Board  are  relatively 
very  great.  These  powers  and  responsibilities  are  derived  from 
Sections  11  to  15  of  Article  VIII.  of  the  Revised  Constitution  of 
the  State,  from  Chapters  546  and  225  of  the  Laws  of  1896,  known 
respectively  as  the  State  Charities  Law  and  the  Poor  Law,  and 
from  various  other  statutes.  In  passing,  let  me  say  that  the  ex¬ 
tracts  from  the  Constitution,  the  laws  referred  to  and  the  rules  and 
by-laws  of  the  Board,  have  all  been  published  in  a  Manual  of  con¬ 
venient  size,  which  I  shall  be  glad  to  send  to  any  one  sufficiently 
interested  to  send  me  a  request  for  the  same. 

These  powers,  while  great,  are  intended  to  be  used  in  a  careful 
and  conservative  manner,  and  the  Board  so  purposes  to  have  them 
used  by  its  agents  at  all  times. 

The  Board  consists  of  twelve  members,  appointed  by  the  Gov¬ 
ernor  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  each  judicial  dis¬ 
trict  of  the  State — there  being  eight  such  districts  in  all — -contribut¬ 
ing  a  member,  while  three  additional  are  appointed  from  the  county 
of  New  York  and  one  additional  from  the  county  of  Kings,  because 
of  the  great  excess  of  the  charitable  work  of  these  counties  as  com¬ 
pared  with  the  rest  of  the  State. 

A  Board  of  this  size  affords  opportunity  for  the  due  represen¬ 
tation,  by  membership  therein,  of  all  the  more  important  interests 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  97 

of  the  State,  and  such  interests  owe  it  to  themselves  and  to  the 
State  that  their  representatives  shall  be  selected  with  the  utmost 
care,  and  because  of  the  sterling  qualities  of  manhood  which  they 
possess. 

The  Board  is  practically  an  unpaid  commission,  although,  in 
recognition  of  certain  provisions  of  the  Constitution,  each  Com¬ 
missioner  is  allowed  to  receive  compensation  to  the  amount  of  ten 
dollars  for  each  day’s  attendance  at  meetings  of  the  Board  or  of 
any  of  its  Committees,  not  exceeding  in  any  one  year  the  sum  of 
five  hundred  dollars.  The  necessary  expenses  of  the  Commission¬ 
ers  incurred  in  the  performance  of  their  duties  are  also  paid  by 
the  State. 

Pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  the  State  Charities  Law,  the 
general  powers  and  duties  of  the  Board  are  as  follows : 

9. — “  The  State  Board  of  Charities  shall  visit,  inspect,  and  maintain  a 
general  supervision  of  all  institutions,  societies,  or  associations  which  are  of 
a  charitable,  eleemosynary,  correctional,  or  reformatory  character,  whether 
state  or  municipal,  incorporated  or  not  incorporated,  which  are  made  sub¬ 
ject  to  its  supervision  by  the  Constitution  or  by  law  ;  and  shall 

1.  “  Aid  in  securing  the  just,  humane,  and  economic  administration  of  all 
institutions  subject  to  its  supervision. 

2.  “  Advise  the  officers  of  such  institutions  in  the  performance  of  their 
official  duties. 

3.  “  Aid  in  securing  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings  for  the  accommoda¬ 
tion  of  the  inmates  of  such  institutions  aforesaid. 

4.  “  Approve  or  disapprove  the  organization  and  incorporation  of  all  institu¬ 
tions  of  a  charitable,  eleemosynary,  correctional,  or  reformatory  character, 
which  are,  or  shall  be.  subject  to  the  supervision  and  inspection  of  the  Board. 

5.  “  Investigate  the  management  of  all  institutions  made  subject  to  the 
supervision  of  the  Board,  and  the  conduct  and  efficiency  of  the  officers  or 
persons  charged  with  their  management,  and  the  care  and  relief  of  the  in¬ 
mates  of  such  institutions  therein  or  in  transit. 

6.  “Aid  in  securing  the  best  sanitary  condition  of  the  buildings  and 
grounds  of  all  such  institutions,  and  advise  measures  for  the  protection  and 
preservation  of  the  health  of  the  inmates. 

7.  “Aid  in  securing  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  such  industrial, 


08 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


educational,  and  moral  training  in  institutions  having  the  care  of  children  as 
is  best  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  inmates. 

8.  “  Establish  rules  for  the  reception  and  retention  of  all  inmates  of  insti¬ 
tutions  which,  by  section  fourteen  of  article  eight  of  the  Constitution,  are 
subject  to  its  supervision. 

9.  “  Investigate  the  condition  of  the  poor  seeking  public  aid,  and  advise 
measures  for  their  relief. 

10.  “  Administer  the  laws  providing  for  the  care,  support,  and  removal  of 
State  and  alien  poor  and  the  support  of  Indian  poor  persons. 

1 1.  “  Collect  statistical  information  in  respect  to  the  property,  receipts,  and 
expenditures  of  all  institutions,  societies,  and  associations  subject  to  its  super¬ 
vision,  and  the  number  and  condition  of  the  inmates  thereof,  and  of  the  poor 
receiving  public  relief." 

Quite  an  extended  program,  as  may  readily  be  seen. 

The  law  in  question  also  provides  that  the  institutions  subject 
to  the  supervision  of  the  Board  may  be  visited  and  inspected  by 
the  Board  or  any  member,  officer,  or  inspector  duly  appointed  by  it 
for  that  purpose,  at  any  and  all  times,  and  that 

“Any  member  or  officer  of  such  Board,  or  inspector  duly  appointed  by  it, 
shall  have  full  access  to  the  grounds,  buildings,  books,  and  papers  relating 
to  any  such  institution,  and  may  require  from  the  officers  and  persons  in 
charge  thereof  any  information  he  may  deem  necessary  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties.  The  Board  may  prepare  regulations  according  to  which,  and  pro¬ 
vide  blanks  and  forms  upon  which,  such  information  shall  be  furnished,  in  a 
clear,  uniform,  and  prompt  manner,  for  the  use  of  the  Board.  No  such  officer 
or  inspector  shall  divulge  or  communicate  to  any  person  without  knowl¬ 
edge  and  consent  of  said  Board,  any  facts  or  information  obtained  pursuant 
to  the  provisions  of  this  act ;  on  proof  of  such  divulgement  or  communication, 
such  officer  or  inspector  may  at  once  be  removed  from  office.  The  annual 
reports  of  each  year  shall  give  the  results  of  such  inquiries,  with  the  opinion 
and  conclusions  of  the  Board  relating  to  the  same.  Any  officer,  superin¬ 
tendent,  or  employee  of  any  such  institution,  society,  or  association  who  shall 
unlawfully  refuse  to  admit  any  member,  officer,  or  inspector  of  the  Board, 
for  the  purpose  of  visitation  and  inspection,  or  who  sfiall  refuse  or  neglect 
to  furnish  the  information  required  by  the  Board  or  any  of  its  members, 
officers,  or  inspectors,  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  subject  to  a  fine 
of  one  hundred  dollars  for  each  such  refusal  or  neglect.  The  right  and 
powers  hereby  conferred  may  be  enforced  by  an  order  of  the  supreme  court 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


99 


after  notice  and  hearing,  or  by  indictment  by  the  grand  jury  of  the  county, 
or  both.” 

Section  14  of  the  State  Charities  Law,  in  the  following  lan¬ 
guage,  provides  for  the  correction  of  abuses,  defects,  or  evils  which 
may  be  discovered  as  a  result  of  the  visitation  and  inspection  pro¬ 
vided  for  by  the  statute  : 

“The  State  Board  of  Charities  shall  call  the  attention  of  the 
trustees,  directors,  or  managers  of  any  such  institution,  society,  or 
association  subject  to  its  supervision,  to  any  abuses,  defects,  or 
evils  which  may  be  found  therein,  and  such  officers  shall  take 
proper  action  thereon,  with  a  view  to  correcting  the  same,  in  ac¬ 
cordance  with  the  advice  of  such  Board.” 

Thus  you  will  note  that  the  law  provides  (first)  a  plain  and 
direct  method  of  discovering  the  existence  of  wrong  conditions, 
and  (second)  an  equally  plain  and  direct  method  of  remedying 
them. 

There  are,  doubtless,  many  who  are  frequently  led  to  wonder  by 
what  authority,  and  in  accordance  with  what  principle  of  govern¬ 
ment,  the  States  exercise  supervision  over  private  charities,  and 
especially  over  those  which  do  not  receive  any  public  money.  It, 
therefore,  seems  to  me  not  inappropriate  at  this  time  to  attempt 
to  explain  briefly  something  with  relation  to  the  source  of  this  au¬ 
thority  and  the  govermental  principle  involved. 

In  the  first  place,  under  our  theory  of  government  the  State, 
subject  only  to  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  is,  in  temporal  matters,  supreme  over  all  within  its  juris¬ 
diction — otherwise  it  would  not  be  the  State, — and  has  authority 
to  exercise  certain  powers,  commonly  known  as  “police  powers," 
by  which,  to  quote  from  a  judicial  decision  which  I  have  selected 
from  a  number  of  others  because  it  is  brief  and  comprehensive, 
“  The  health,  good  order,  peace,  and  general  welfare  of  the  com¬ 
munity  are  promoted.” 

In  turn,  because  it  is  the  theory  of  the  government  of  this  State, 
a  theory  derived  as  the  fruit  of  long  experience,  I  may  say,  that 


100  REPORT  OE  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

the  general  welfare  of  the  community  will  be  promoted  thereby, 
the  powers  I  have  described  are  conferred  upon  and  exercised  by 
the  State  Board  of  Charities. 

It  is  certainly  conducive  to  the  welfare  of  the  community  (of 
which  so  many  members,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  are  applicants 
for  charitable  assistance  of  one  form  or  another)  for  some  respon¬ 
sible  authority  in  the  State  to  make  certain  that  the  inmates  of 
charitable  institutions  receive  proper  care,  that  those  capable  of  re¬ 
ceiving  instruction  be  given  the  benefits  of  an  education,  and  that 
moneys  donated  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  be  judiciously  used. 

Further  than  this,  it  is  to  be  assumed  that  no  institution  of 
charity,  which  is  properly  conducted,  need  have  anything  to  fear 
because  of  the  visitation,  inspection,  and  supervision  provided  by 
law  ;  while  on  the  other  hand  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  how  any 
honest  interest  in  the  State  can  possibly  be  benefited  by  the  con¬ 
cealment  of  evils  and  abuses  in  such  institutions. 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  be  able  to  state — not  as  anything  at  all 
strange,  however — that  I  have  never  heard  of  any  of  our  Catholic 
Charities  seeking  to  evade,  in  any  way,  the  due  operation  of  the 
laws  to  which  I  have  referred. 

A  power  which  is  frequently  exercised  by  the  Board  with  most 
beneficent  results,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  authority  to  approve  or 
disapprove  of  the  incorporation  of  institutions,  societies,  and  as¬ 
sociations  for  alleged  charitable  purposes,  thereby  preventing  many 
from  enjoying  the  benefits  of  a  corporate  existence,  or  any  exist--- 
ence  at  all  in  many  cases,  when  it  is  evident  that  they  would  be 
controlled  by  mercenary  or  other  improper  motives.  In  this  way 
many  irresponsible  and  impossible  ”  persons  are  prevented  from 
embarking  in  a  career  of  more  or  less  professional  philanthropy, 
and  of  frequently  having  some  portions  of  the  human  society  in 
this  State  more  or  less  by  the  ears. 

New  York  State  is  comparatively  free  from  the  operations  of 
unfit  persons  in  the  field  of  organized  or  institutional  charity,  but 
from  my  personal  knowledge  of  the  eagerness  with  which  such 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  101 


persons  have  in  times  past  sought  to  invade  the  domain  of  philan¬ 
thropy  for  private  gain,  I  am  satisfied  that  far  different  conditions 
would  have  prevailed  had  not  the  State  set  up  the  safeguard  bar¬ 
riers  to  which  I  have  referred. 

The  field  of  human  emotions  has  a  wide  and  varied  range,  but 
there  are  some  domains  where  sense  should  ever  remain  supreme 
over  sentiment.  One  such  field  is  that  which  embraces  the  care, 
custody,  and  disposal  of  dependent  children. 

A  number  of  those  here  present  are  personally  familiar  with  the 
efforts  made  by  the  Board  last  Winter  to  put  an  end  to  the  evils 
and  abuses  frequently  incident  to  placing  of  children  in  family- 
homes,  where  such  work  is  carried  on  by  persons  imbued  with  a 
hope  of  pecuniary  gain,  and  barren  of  the  true  philanthropic  spirit. 

In  its  report  to  the  Legislature  of  the  present  year,  the  Board 
dwelt  at  length  upon  this  subject,  concluding  with  the  following 
statement  : 

“  Some  sincere  friends  of  the  placing-out  movement  seem  possessed  of 
the  fear  that  to  require  its  work  to  be  conducted  under  rules  and  regulations, 
no  matter  how  just  and  reasonable  they  may  be,  nor  how  easily  complied 
with  by  well-intending  people,  will  result  in  discouraging  work  of  this  na¬ 
ture;  but  this  Board  does  not  believe  that  a  principle  so  vital  is  likely  to  be 
shrivelled  by  the  requirement  that,  the  work  whereby  it  is  given  practical 
effect,  be  conducted  in  a  decent  and  orderly  manner.  On  the  contrary,  the 
Board  considers  that  the  evils,  abuses,  and  resulting  scandals  connected 
with  the  present  unregulated  methods  of  placing  out  children,  have  much  to 
do  with  retarding  the  progress  of  this  beneficent  form  of  philanthropic  work. 

“  It  is  also  intimated  that  an  aroused  public  sentiment  would  be  more  ef¬ 
fective  than  legislation;  but  the  history  of  the  world  has  shown,  and  is  show¬ 
ing  daily,  that  to  correct  great  wrongs  public  sentiment  is, most  effective 
when  crystallized  into  the  form  of  practical  and  efficient  laws,  and  that 
without  these  it  is  well-nigh  impossible  to  repress  evils  arising  from  the 
cupidity  or  the  brutality  of  man.  For  example,  witness  the  beneficent  ef¬ 
fects  of  the  laws  to  protect  children  and  animals  from  cruelty,  and  various 
other  statutes  that  might  readily  be  mentioned  werefurthei  evidence  neces¬ 
sary  to  sustain  this  elementary  proposition. 

“  The  Board  has  never  had  in  mind  any  complex  or  confusing  system  of 


102 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


rules,  but  should  have  the  power  to  make  and  enforce  simple  requirements 
framed  to  end  wrongs  complained  of,  examples  of  which  have  been  given 
above,  without  injury  to  any  honest  interest  in  the  State. 

“  It  approves,  commends,  and  intends  to  encourage  the  placing  out  of 
children  from  institutions  into  family-homes,  but  insists  that  such  homes 
shall  be  decent  homes,  that  suitable  records  shall  be  kept,  and  that  all  the 
rights  of  childhood  and  of  parentage  shall  be  respected  by  those  who  are 
engaged  in  a  work,  laudable  when  properly  conducted,  but  intolerable 
when  entered  into  from  a  purely  commercial  spirit.  This  merchandise  of. 
helpless  childhood  for  the  purpose,  on  the  one  hand,  of  saving  parents  from 
the  merited  shame  of  their  own  misdoings,  or  communities  from  expense, 
and  on  the  other  hand,  of  enriching  the  coffers  of  the  debased,  should  no 
longer  be  permitted.” 

After  a  severe  struggle,  and  with  the  assistance  of,  among  others, 
Commissioner  McDonough,  representatives  of  the  Society  of  St.  Vin¬ 
cent  de  Paul,  and  the  Catholic  Protectory,  the  efforts  initiated  by 
the  Board  were  successful,  and  a  satisfactory  statute  was  passed, 
designed  to  restrict  the  work  of  placing  out  children  to  reputable 
and  responsible  hands,  under  the  scrutiny  of  the  Board,  and  author¬ 
izing  the  Board  to  direct  the  discontinuance  of  such  work  when 
carried  on  in  a  careless  or  improper  manner. 

Comparatively  few,  probably,  of  even  the  best  informed  people, 
have  anything  approaching  a  true  conception  of  the  extent  of  the 
property,  real  and  personal,  which  is  devoted  to  charitable  uses  in 
this  State,  nor  of  the  amount  of  official  and  organized  charitable 
work  which,  in  the  course  of  a  year,  is  carried  on  within  the  bor¬ 
ders  of  the  State,  although  almost  every  one  who  has  had  any  op¬ 
portunity  for  judging  must  know  that  the  value  of  such  property 
and  the  volume  of  the  work  are  enormous. 

The  State  Board  of  Charities  has  just  completed  a  compilation 
of  its  statistics  relating  to  the  charities  and  charitable  work  of  the 
State  for  the  past  fiscal  year,  ending  September  30th,  1897,  and 
some  of  the  figures  are  of  such  great  and  general  interest  as  to  war¬ 
rant  their  presentation  at  this  time. 

These  figures,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  by  those  who  consider 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  103 

them,  are  carefully  compiled  from  sworn  statement  filed  with  the 
Board  by  the  treasurers  or  other  officers  of  the  thousand  or  more 
charitable  institutions,  societies,  and  associations  subject  to  the 
Board’s  supervision,  in  conformity  with  the  requirements  of  the 
State  Charities  Law  and  the  Poor  Law,  and  are  probably  in  all 
material  particulars  substantially  correct. 

Because  of  the  increased  powers  and  obligations  devolved  upon 
the  Board  by  the  State  Charities  Law  pursuant  to  the  provisions 
of  the  revised  Constitution,  these  reports  from  the  public  and  the 
private  charities  of  the  State,  covering  the  last  fiscal  year,  as  I  have 
said,  have  been  collected  with  more  care  and  thoroughness  than 
ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  Board,  or  of  the  State,  and  the 
picture  they  present  is  one,  therefore,  not  hitherto  revealed.  It 
shows  not  only  a  wonderful  and  praiseworthy  amount  of  sympathy, 
effort,  and  means  expended  in  relieving  the  necessities  of  the  un¬ 
fortunate,  but  exhibits,  also,  what  appears  to  be  a  startling  degree 
of  dependency  in  the  State,  which  legislators  and  philanthropists 
.should  take  into  careful  account. 

It  is  to  be  remembered,  also,  of  course,  that  the  Board’s  figures 
do  not  include  the  large  amount  in  the  aggregate  expended  by, 
nor  the  numbers  relieved  through,  the  thousands  of  minor  church 
organizations,  such  as  the  “  King's  Daughters,”  “  Ladies’  Aid  So¬ 
cieties,”  “  Helping  Hands,”  “  Sewing  Circles,”  and  other  like  as¬ 
sociations  too  numerous  to  mention,  nor  the  vast  and  incalculable 
assistance  rendered  through  purely  personal  benefactions. 

From  the  statistics  it  appears  that  the  real  and  personal  prop¬ 
erty  of  the  institutions,  societies,  and  associations  reporting  to  the 
Board  is  estimated  to  be  worth  $103,384,554.21 — $77,455,064.20  of 
this  being  in  real  estate,  and  $25,929,490.01  (to  be  exact)  in  per¬ 
sonal  property — divided  among  the  various  classes  of  institutions 
as  follows: 


State  institutions . $5,450,953.60 

County  almshouses .  2,993,930.00 

City  and  town  almshouses .  6,842,000.00 


104  REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


Charity  organization  societies .  346,082.01 

Day  nurseries .  271,416.46 

Dispensaries .  1,613,983.17 

Eleemosynary — educational  institutions .  850,569.07 

Employment  societies . . .  171 ,217.76 

Fresh  air  charities .  479,035.96 

General  out-door  relief  societies .  2,274,544.49 

Homes  for  the  aged . 17,845,107.17 

Homes  for  the  blind . , .  244400.00 

Homes  for  children . 25,58 1 , 350.33, 

Homes  for  discharged  prisoners .  161,997.75 

Homes  temporary,  for  men  and  boys .  124,340.01 

Homes  temporary,  for  women  and  children .  223.214.45 

Homes  temporary,  for  women  and  girls .  177,252.00 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  consumptives .  583,000.00 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  convalescents .  52,700.00 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  epileptics .  120,000.00 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  incurables .  1,61 1,855.60 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  inebriates .  488,307.70 

Homes  and  missions  for  immigrants .  2,441,600.00 

Hospitals . 29,068.051.55 

Humane  societies .  '  6,600.00 

Legal  aid  societies .  19.715.00 

Reformatories  for  children .  165,578.13 

Reformatories  for  women  and  girls .  1,618,172.24 

Relief  for  sick  poor,  societies  for .  335,508.00 

Schools  for  deaf .  1,224,691.65 


Total . $103,384,554.21 

Large  as  these  figures  must  appear,  there  are  various  good  rea¬ 
sons  for  believing  that  they  do  not  overestimate  the  value  of  the 
property  held  by  charitable  institutions.  The  chief  of  these  rea¬ 
sons  is,  that  such  institutions  have  not  the  weakness  of  wishing 
to  appear  too  wealthy,  especially  when  they  derive  their  support 
from  the  donations  of  the  charitable. 

The  receipts  of  these  organizations  for  the  year  mentioned  ag¬ 
gregated  $23,100,880.50,  received  from  the  following  sources: 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  105 


The  state . $  1,527,231.06 

Counties .  2,450,628.04 

Cities .  5,628,277.24 

Individuals  for  the  support  of  inmates .  1,292,852.65 

Legacies .  860,827.27 

Membership  fees .  424,189.20 

Entertainments  and  benefits .  394,744.23 

Donations  and  voluntary  contributions .  2,632,440.14 

Interest  and  dividends .  1,118,232.46 

Loans,  bonds,  stocks,  and  other  investments .  1,184,133.26 

Money  borrowed .  1,422,047.80 

All  other  sources .  2,356,526.23 

Total . . $23,100,880.50 


It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  aggregate  amount  of  public  funds 
granted  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  through  these  institutions,  was 
much  less  than  the  aggregate  amount  received  from  private 
sources — the  figures  being  $9,606,136.34  from  the  State,  counties, 
and  cities,  as  compared  with  $13,494,743. 16,  received  through  the 
medium  of  personal  benefactions. 

The  table  of  expenditures  is  an  equally  interesting  one,  I  think, 
as  it  shows  very  clearly,  in  a  general  way,  where  the  money  goes. 

The  total  expenditures  for  the  year  amounted  to  $21,448,362.03, 
classified  as  follows,  the  difference  between  the  receipts  and 
expenditures  being  the  balance  on  hand  : 

Indebtedness  upon  real  estate,  principal,  and 


interest .  $7  21,325.29 

Other  indebtedness .  773,123.66 

Rent .  151,209.02 

Salaries  and  wages. . .  4,147,880.61 

Provisions  and  supplies .  4.33L342-75 

Printing  and  stationery .  128,214.06 

Clothing .  616,421.00 

Fuel  and  lights .  850,339.65 

Medicines  and  medical  supplies .  495,803.16 

Furniture,  beds,  and  beddings .  328,404.11 

Ordinary  repairs .  534,881.31 


106  REPOET  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


Insurance .  102,900.40 

Buildings  and  improvements . 3(263,315.56 

Interest  on  loans . 84,855.27 

Investment .  1,642,863.00 

Services  of  collectors  in  soliciting  funds .  27,532.33 

General  out-door  relief  to  the  poor  with  homes.. .  226,860.68 

Meals  and  lodgings  for  the  homeless .  28,327.68 

Fresh  air  relief .  20,185.29 

All  other  purposes .  2,972,468.20 

Total . $21,448,362.03 

The  number  of  inmates  in  the  institutions  subject  to  the  super¬ 
vision  of  the  Board  was,  on  October  1st,  1897,  74,664,  divided  as 
follows  : 

State  institutions .  6,001 

County  almshouses .  5,848 

City  and  town  almhouses .  7,834 

Day  nurseries .  198 

Eleemosynary — educational  institutions .  6,020 

Homes  for  the  aged .  5,635 

Homes  for  the  blind .  113 

Homes  for  children .  31,127 

Homes  for  discharged  prisoners .  9 7 

Homes,  temporary,  for  men  and  boys .  203 

Homes,  temporary,  for  women  and  children .  172 

Homes,  temporary,  for  women  and  girls .  426 

Reformatories  for  children .  151 

Reformatories  for  women  and  girls .  1,675 

Schools  for  the  deaf . 1,080 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  consumptives .  116 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  convalescents .  25 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  epileptics .  177 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  incurables . 659 

Homes  and  hospitals  for  inebriates .  112 

Other  hospitals .  6,992 

Total .  74,664 

Large  as  these  figures  are,  they  do  not,  of  course,  begin  to  ap- 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES.  107 

proach  the  statistics  showing  the  total  number  of  inmates  support¬ 
ed  for  some  portion  of  the  time  during  the  year,  for  there  is  a  contin¬ 
ual  movement  of  population  in  most  of  the  institutions,  especially 
in  the  hospitals,  and  the  beneficiaries  of  the  year  number,  accord¬ 
ingly,  many  more  than  those  to  be  found  in  the  census  of  any 
given  date.  The  tables  of  the  Board  show  that  the  number  of  in¬ 
mates  received  and  cared  for  in  the  above-mentioned  classes  of 
institutions  during  the  past  fiscal  year  aggregated  269,147,  quite 
a  little  army,  as  may  readily  be  seen. 

But  these  were  by  no  means  all  that  received  charitable  assist¬ 
ance,  the  tables  showing  that  in  the  dispensaries  of  the  State, 
most  of  them  being  in  Greater  New  York,  1,523,699  persons  were 
treated  practically  free  of  charge,  the  number  of  prescriptions  dis¬ 
pensed  being  2,257,075.  Further  than  this,  general  out-door  relief 
was  given  by  superintendents  and  overseers  of  the  poor,  relief 
societies,  missions,  and  other  charities  to  758,609,  making  the 
number  relieved  by  institutions  (including  hospitals  and  dispensar¬ 
ies)  societies,  associations,  and  public  officials  aggregate  2,551,455. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  by  any  means,  that  these  figures  correct¬ 
ly  represent  the  actual  number  of  individuals  assisted  during  the 
year,  for  there  must  be  an  almost  endless  and  unavoidable  amount 
of  duplication  in  the  figures  given,  which  cannot  even  be  estimated 
with  any  degree  of  certainty,  for  it  is  clear  that  any  given  case 
might  have  drawn  relief  from  several  of  the  sources  mentioned, 
and  would  have  been  counted  by  each  one.  In  various  other  ways 
there  is  room  for  much  duplication  in  counting. 

Notwithstanding  this,  it  must  be  clearly  apparent,  from  these 
figures,  that  an  uncommonly  large  number  of  the  people  of  this 
State  are,  more  or  less,  dependent  upon  charitable  relief,  and  those 
well  informed  upon  the  subject  are  inclined  to  the  belief  that  the 
unregistered  and  unreported  charity  which  is  bestowed  will  more 
than  compensate  for  any  duplication  that  exists  in  the  official 
figures. 

A  consideration  of  these  facts  may  well  make  one  wish  that  our 


108  REPORT  OE  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 

people  were  possessed  of  more  of  the  Spartan  spirit,  and  that  they 
yielded  less  readily  to  the  inclination  to  accept  charitable  assist¬ 
ance. 

The  lesson  that  I  draw  is  not,  however,  that  we  should  be  less 
charitable,  but  that  we  should  exercise  greater  care  and  discrimin¬ 
ation,  and  not  welcome  our  fellow-men  too  easily  to  a  life  of  de¬ 
pendency  of  any  degree  whatsoever. 

The  more  thought  and  the  more  care  that  can  be  put  into  char¬ 
itable  work,  the  better  are  the  results  attained. 

At  the  same  time,  I  hope  none  of  my  hearers  will  become  quite 
so  thoughtful  and  practical  in  their  charity  as  a  lady  of  whom  I 
heard  recently. 

She  was  standing  in  the  doorway  of  her  house,  when  one  of  the 
fraternity  of  wanderers  entered  the  yard.  Possibly  he  was  look¬ 
ing  for  some  of  the  cryptic  signs  of  his  kind  on  the  fence-post.  He 
got  down  on  his  knees  on  the  lawn,  however,  and  began  to  eat 
the  grass.  The  lady’s  sympathies  were  aroused,  and  she  asked 
why  he  did  that.  The  man  answered  that  he  had  eaten  nothing 
for  several  days,  and  had  to  satisfy  his  hunger  in  that  way.  The 
lady  then  very  kindly  bade  him  come  into  the  house,  and,  nothing 
loath,  he  quickly  consented.  Leading  him  through  the  hall  to  the 
yard  at  the  rear  of  the  house,  she  said  :  “  Now,  get  down  there, 
the  grass  is  longer.” 

One  thought  that  occurs  to  me  in  this  connection,  is  that  in 
every  parish  of  any  importance  in  size  in  this  State,  there  should 
be  a  Conference  of  your  Society,  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  which  should 
take  all  these  questions  under  careful  consideration,  so  far,  at  any 
rate,  as  they  related  to  their  respective  localities  ;  and,  working  in 
co-operation  with  the  main  organization,  and  with  other  bodies 
of  citizens,  exert  an  influence  towards  the  better  administration  of 
public  and  private  charities  that  would,  I  am  sure,  prove  to  be  of 
the  most  beneficent  character,  and  productive  of  valuable  results. 

I  argue  this  from  my  knowledge  of  what  that  Society  has  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  accomplishing  in  the  City  of  New  York,  not  so  much  in 


REPORT  OF  CONFERENCE  ON  CATHOLIC  CHARITIES. 


109 


the  way  of  almsgiving  alone,  but  also  in  the  way  of  influencing  pub¬ 
lic  sentiment  in  the  right  direction. 

I  may  be  over-sanguine,  but  I  hope  the  day  will  come  when  men 
will  be  chosen  to  manage  public  charities  solely  because  of  their 
character,  experience,  and  fitness,  and  not  by  reason  of  any  seem¬ 
ing  political  necessity. 

And  now,  kind  friends,  with  the  expression  of  this  hope,  and 
trusting  that  I  have  been  able  to  throw  some  light  on  the  relations 
which  exist  between  charity  and  civil  government,  especially  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  I  will  conclude  by  thanking  you  most  cor¬ 
dially  for  your  courteous  attention. 


INSTITUTIONS  REPRESENTED 
AT  CONFERENCE. 


Catholic  Book  Exchange, . 120  West  60th  Street. 

Catholic  Boys’  Association  of  the  City  of 

New  York, . 312  West  16th  Street. 

Convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  in  Brooklyn,  273  Willoughby  Avenue. 

Catholic  Abstinence  Union,  The . Church  of  St.  Paul  the  Apostle, 

West  59th  Street. 

French  Benevolent  Society  of  N.  Y., . 320-22  West  34th  Street. 

Home  for  the  Aged  of  the  Little  Sisters  of 

the  Poor  of  the  City  of  New  York, . 213  East  70th  Street. 

Irish  Emigrant  Society, . 51  Chambers  &  29  Reade  St. 

New  York  Foundling  Hospital, . 175  East  68th  Street. 

New  York  Catholic  Protectory,  The . Westchester,  New  York. 

Presentation  Day  Nursery, . 317  East  33d  Street. 

Roman  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum  Society, 

The . 44  Court  Street,  Brooklyn. 

St.  Joseph’s  Home  for  the  Aged, . 209  West  15th  Street. 

St.  Francis  Hospital, . 603  Fifth  Street. 

St.  Vincent’s  Hospital  of  the  City  of  New 

York, . nth  Street  &  7th  Avenue. 

Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis, . 605  Fifth  Street. 

St.  Joseph’s  Hospital  of  the  Sisters  of  the 

Poor  of  St.  Francis, . East  143d  Street  &  St.  Ann’s 

Avenue. 

Society  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul, . 7  Poplar  Street,  Brooklyn. 

St.  Agnes’  South  Brooklyn  Day  Nursery,. .  .433  Degraw  Street. 

St.  Joseph’s  Home  for  Destitute  Children,. .  Peekskill,  Westchester  Co.  N.Y. 
Sisters  of  Mercy, . N.  E.  Cor.  81st  Street  &  Madi¬ 

son  Avenue. 


